


Walking Weruzu

by Emilem



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), pokemon weruzu
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-06-08 15:06:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 24,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilem/pseuds/Emilem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The chronicles of a trainer's journey through the region of Weruzu, which was created by the wonderful becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys, and details of which can be found [<a href="http://becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys.tumblr.com/Project_Weruzu">here.</a>]<br/>All credit for the region and the original pokémon go to her - yeah, she's awesome - and all credit for official pokémon and pokémon regions, and the concept of pokémon itself, go to Game Freak and Nintendo.<br/>New chapters every Sunday!  (For as long as I can keep up, anyway.)<br/><span class="u">Underlined sentences</span> are in Weruze, the native language - if that's a language you don't speak, either hover your mouse over them or click on them to be taken to the footnotes, where they've been translated into a language you'll understand.<br/>Click the "<sup>wtp?</sup>" link after any pokémon name to ask "who's that pokémon?" and see a picture of them, as drawn by the creator!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, new readers! Hope you enjoy the ride.

Everything I read makes me less sure about what I’m going to pick.  
  
My [mam](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n1) set off for Aberystwyth to see Professor Yew two days ago, and at the rate that her Merlech[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/b859ef9da3e1ceae44dcb40f28d58e6a/tumblr_inline_o1z6sbOrY01r7q5l0_500.jpg)] gallops at, that usually means she’ll get in at about 6 o’clock tonight. She didn’t outright _tell_ me that this “business trip” was to get me my starter pokémon, but leaving three days before my birthday wasn’t exactly subtle. Since then, the only thing I’ve been able to do to keep myself sane has been to read up everything I could about my choices to make sure I could make an informed decision.  
  
It might have been optimistic of me to assume that my sanity was salvageable.  
  
It’s eight o’clock in the morning, and there are so many tabs open on my Poképad that it’s started making worrying whirring noises whenever I try to scroll down on one of them. Thirty-six hours of reading and six half-hour power naps have gone by since I started reading Bulbapedia’s pages on each of the three possible starter pokémon. (I’m well past the point of reading the message boards about how Bulbapedia can never be as reliable as a trainer’s Pokédex.) At the moment, my screen is filled with an angry critique about the update schedule of the Illustrated Chronicle of Ruby-Red. I couldn’t begin to tell you how I found myself there.  
  
I’m well aware of how the rainy climate of Wēruzu gives the water type, Morling [[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/e9e622614cfeac85e436b28a1e11befe/tumblr_inline_o2rm6yceE41r7q5l0_500.jpg)], a pretty big advantage. I know that Plantyn[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/32b51fee9391d234a0ed100a060b44ae/tumblr_inline_o2gbu23aqY1r7q5l0_540.jpg)], the grass type, wouldn’t have to worry about running into any fire types at any point over the miles of soaking wet countryside. For that matter, I know that Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)] the fire type is my only shot at having a fire breather for a very, very long time. I’ve spoken on my blog about each of these details so much over the past two days, I think well over half of my followers must have blocked me.  
  
_I can’t believe I get to start tomorrow._  
  
Just like any normal person of my generation, I’ve been reading the biographies of all the great trainers all my life, from Blue Oak to Ancient AZ. (For someone who’s meant to be hundreds of years old, AZ’s biography is REALLY short.) I’ve played every simulation game in every version they’ve packaged them in, even the weird pinball thing. Every time a new one came out for the last five years, my cousin and I dropped everything to race each other to beating the elite four, often to the point where I forgot to eat. (Granted, I lost all of these races, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.)  
  
And now that gets to be my real life.  
  
When the Holo Caster app on the Poképad flashes up to tell me that mam’s calling me, the device is so overworked that black spots start to appear on the lower half of the screen. As excited as I am to answer the call, I take the hint and close a dozen or so tabs before I answer it - the last thing I want is for the bloody machine to die halfway through pretending to be surprised, if she’s decided to tell me about my new pokémon early.  
  
[“Helo?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n2) I answer.  
  
[“Hiya, cariad! Dwi efo newyddion ddrwg, mae gen i ofn."](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n3)  
  
["O?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n4) My brow furrows; for someone who just claimed to have bad news, the face being projected in 3D inches away from my face is frustratingly unreadable. It’s like she’s trying to hide something.  
  
…Ok, yes, I know, obviously she’s trying to hide something, the whole basis of this conversation is that she’s bringing me a pokémon I’m not meant to know about yet. But it seems like there's something else.  
  
[“Ia - oedd rhaid i mi aros yn y labordy am chydig yn hirach nac o’n i’n disgwyl, felly byddai’n dipyn yn hwyr yn ôl."](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n5)  
  
I can’t stop my face from falling. How late will she be? She must be able to tell I’m disappointed, because she carries on;  
  
[“O, paid a poeni, wna’i ddim methu dy pen-blwydd! Dwi just yn meddwl o’n i’n gobeithio cyrraedd yn ôl ddoe…"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n6)  
  
At this point, she doesn’t need to finish what she’s saying, because her Merlech’s stone horseshoes are audible outside, so it’s quite obvious that the being-late thing was a terrible fake-out. But I must get my flair for amateur dramatics from her, because she keeps talking as she walks through the door.  
  
[“…ond dwi ‘mond newydd wedi cyrraedd!"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n7) She finishes triumphantly, stepping through the door. I’m already there, hugging her.  
  
After a long few seconds, I guess I must be laying it on a bit thick, because she pushes me away and says, [“Oke, dwi’n gwybod wnes ti ddim methu fi gymaint a hyna. ‘Da chi eisio cyfarfod y creadyriaid ‘ma a weld pwy wet ti’n dewis?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n8)  
  
I am far too nervous and excited to remember how to speak, so I nod vigorously. Mam grins and takes out three poké balls, pressing the middle button on each ball in turn.  
  
First to come out is Plantyn. The sapling pokémon stands in the centre of the room with an aura of calmness. He shifts on his six root-like legs to rotate on the spot, letting his one huge eye take in the room around him; the spiral at the centre of his eye rotates rapidly when he sees the paintings hanging on the walls of the hallway, as if it’s the lens on a camera zooming in. I realise after a few seconds that the two branches that protrude from the top of his head are vibrating slightly, producing a faint humming noise. Even though I know he won’t gain his secondary psychic typing until he evolves, I’m impressed that he has the air of mysterious awareness and deliberation that all the psychic-types I’ve ever seen seem to share, without it being creepy and off-putting.  
  
Next to appear from the balls is Morling, and while I can’t be certain without a pokédex in my hand, the fact that her fins are slightly thinner and more delicate than the pictures I’d seen online give me the impression that she’s female. From what I’ve understood, it’s far more common for the starter pokémon given to people at the starts of their journeys to be male, since laboratories prefer to keep hold of the female pokémon for breeding purposes, so this Morling’s femininity is a pleasant surprise. The tiny aquatic fairy is an adorable little creature, looking up at me with beady black eyes with an intense smile that would be unnerving if her body language wasn’t so relaxed and open. After a few seconds of staring, she rolls over on the floor, gleefully stretching out her tail and clearly enjoying being out of her ball.  
  
And then Emblun pops out of his ball.  
  
I want to reiterate that I’ve put an awful lot of thought into which pokémon to choose.  
  
Not just in the past couple of days, but in all the years of dreaming of starting my pokémon journey - it’s a question that’s been at the back of my mind for years. This is by far the most considered and informed decision I’ll have ever made.  
  
But I _have_ to pick Emblun, because he’s just _so cute_.  
  
It’s completely clear that he doesn’t have a self-conscious bone in his reptilian body. His wide, goofy smile never disappears as his head darts from one object in the room to the next, usually followed by his body, which runs with a pitter-patter that has clearly been developed to favour speed over elegance; when he runs curiously towards the eevee-shaped pokédoll that sits next to the staircase, he forgets to stop, crashing into it and bouncing into the wall, before pushing himself back to his feet with his tail as if to demonstrate that he’s completely unfazed. When he notices me giggling at him, he bounds over to me and actually climbs up my body, his tiny claws tickling my skin through my clothing as he makes his way to my shoulder, where he licks my neck. I can’t stop laughing. It’s the quickest I’ve ever fallen in love.  
  
Mam wordlessly returns Morling and Plantyn to their pokéballs; my decision is written all over my face. [“Wel, dyna ni, felly. ‘Da chi eisio rhoi enw iddo fo?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n9)  
  
I shake my head; I won’t give him a nickname now. It might just be because I hated the name I was given at birth, but I prefer not to nickname pokémon, at least until I’ve gotten to know them. Mam gives me a “suit-yourself” gesture.  
  
[“Iawn, wel, well i mi mynd a’r ddau yma i dy gefndar - dyla fo fod yn fflio’i fewn i Bangor unrhyw fynyd rwan. ‘Da chi eisio dod efo fi, neu ‘sa well ganddo chi dod i nabod Emblun yn well gynta?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n10)  
  
It takes me a few minutes to take in what she’s said. My cousin, flying into Bangor? Why?  
  
[“Be, Benjy? Tydi o ddim dal yn Kalos?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n11)  
  
[“Na, mae o'n dod ar draws i fan yma a dechra siwrna o’r dechra efo chi. Wnaeth o’m ddweud wrtha chi?"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n12)  
  
Oh my Arceus. [[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Arceus_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))]  
  
My cousin Benjy’s starting a journey at the same time as me.  
  
I’m going to have a bloody _rival_ …  
  
And he’s from _Igrisu_.  
  
[“O, _ffantastig_ ,"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#n13) I say.  
  
I can’t even tell if I’m being sarcastic or not.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[EMBLUN.](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)_ **

**_The COMMON LIZARD pokemon._ **

**_Fire type._ **

**_When in grave danger, wild Emblun emit a foul-smelling smoke through their scales to warn other Emblun to stay away._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 Mam is Weruze for ‘mum’. You probably guessed that already, but I just wanted to make sure you know it’s not a typo. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return1)]  
> 2 Weruze for ‘hello’. Look, some of our words are more different than this, I promise. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return2)]  
> 3 ‘Hi love! I’m afraid I have some bad news.’ See, I told you - it’s a whole real-life language. We’ve got a word for “anomaly” and everything. (It’s ‘anghysonder’.) [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return3)]  
> 4 … Ok fine, yes, this just means ‘Oh.’ It just sounds too different in our accent to justify using the same letters, all right? Stop bullying our language. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return4)]  
> 5 ‘Yes - I had to stay in the laboratory for a little longer than I was expecting, so I’ll be a bit late back.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return5)]  
> 6 ‘Oh, don’t worry, I won’t miss your birthday! I just meant that I’d hoped to be back yesterday night…’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return6)]  
> 7 ‘But I only just arrived!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return7)]  
> 8 ‘Okay, I know you didn’t miss me that much. Do you want to meet these creatures and see who you choose?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return8)]  
> 9 ‘Well, there we go, then. Do you want to give him a name?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return9)]  
> 10 ‘OK, well, I’d better take these two to your cousin - he should be flying into Bangor any minute now. Do you want to come with me, or would you rather get to know Emblun better first?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return10)]  
> 11 ‘What, Benjy? He isn’t still in Kalos?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return11)]  
> 12 ‘No, after he beat the Elite Four there, he decided to come over to here to start a journey from the start with you. Didn’t he tell you?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return12)]  
> 12 ‘Oh, fantastic.’ We do have another word that means the same thing, but it’s longer, so less venom can be injected into each syllable. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15658330#return13)]


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw man, you guys came back? Thanks! You're nice.  
> Fun fact about this chapter; for the little messages from the pokédex, I spent ages tracking down the fonts used in all the different pokémon games and deliberating over what looked retro enough while still being readable in this font size. What I did not do was consider that these fonts might not be usable with Archive of our Own's HTML. Whoopsie! Well, now that's what the bolded italics mean in this chapter.

**_A wild PATHLEWOG appeared!_**

Of course it bloody did.

Please don’t get me wrong. Pathlewog[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/0f7341948bc22d84c65465523830cbe8/tumblr_inline_o1iv3sV2IV1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] are lovely creatures. All of the dozen Pathlewog I’ve seen in the last twenty minutes have been mind-numbingly cute. And believe me, I’m proud that Weruzu has such unique wildlife. I’m certainly grateful that I don’t live somewhere like Kanto, where the rodent pokémon uniformly look like an orthodontist’s worst nightmare.

But I’ve lived on this patch of land at the bottom of Mount Snowdon for all my life. It’s really quite difficult to get excited about a pokémon when you’ve had to forcibly kick them out of your garden for as long as you can remember.

I wearily give Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)] his instructions. [“Dos, Emblun! Crafa fo i darna man!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#n1)

 ** _EMBLUN used SCRATCH_** , interprets my pokédex, which my mam handed to me before riding off. Emblun does indeed use Scratch.

In a few seconds, Pathlewog is going to use Tail Whip, and I can’t believe that less than half an hour into my pokémon journey I can already be bored in a pokémon battle.

It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t know that there were infinitely more interesting creatures just up the cliff, a short Rock Climb away. Don’t get me wrong, I know that all the creatures on that ledge are far too strong for Emblun and me to take on. But at least when they made me black out I’d know that I was one of _much fewer people_ to have the privilege of being knocked out in their vicinities. I could find a Pathlewog down any given route in the area, and I’d be a lot less pissed off about that if I couldn’t see a herd of Eiroen [[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/2e79e724d9bf637a9006fb5227be8405/tumblr_inline_nxar59FoVJ1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] from here right now, with their frost-tinted wool coats and their unique ice/normal typing and the fact that you can’t get them anywhere else, looking down on the battle with all the boredom this one-note battle deserves.

And sure enough, _**The wild PATHLEWOG used TAIL WHIP!**_

At least the three Gwendeg[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/422ba53e3414892a5604f0ab43103bde/tumblr_inline_o2x184I2f11r7q5l0_540.jpg)] and two Barkid[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/ac0ad2b8ac409a1c9ddfb13731692db2/tumblr_inline_o2cpe05eNZ1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] I’ve seen since venturing into the long grass threw in a couple of damage-dealing moves between them. This didn’t seem like quite such a mercy when I was cursing them and fumbling in my bag for a potion, but hey, it was a break in the monotony.

[“Emblun, crafa fo i gorffen o’i fyny,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#n2) I sigh. Emblun happily obliges, blissfuly unaware of my lack of interest.

_**EMBLUN used SCRATCH! A critical hit! The wild PATHLEWOG fainted!**_

I give Emblun a little half-smile. Just like in the simulations, moves only ever seem to be critical hits when they would have made the pokémon faint anyway.

I barely walk another three steps before the pokédex makes another warning noise and -

_**A wild PATHLEWOG appeared!**_

Oh bloody hell.

Right, I say to myself, for the fifth time this morning; if _this_ pokémon deals any damage to Emblun, I’ll stop training and go into town to heal my pokémon. It might be tedious to do it this way, but I have to get into the habit of only going to the pokémon centre when I need to, otherwise I’ll never get anywhere for all the running back and forth I’ll be doing.

Right; my pokédex tells me this Pathlewog is only level three, so I think if Emblun uses Tail Whip, I should knock her out in one swipe and keep his claws from wearing out too much.

[“Symyd y pen ol ‘na, Emblun!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#n3)

_**EMBLUN used TAIL WHIP!**_

It’s so weird attributing levels to real life, living creatures. As I understand it, levels were originally a product of the simulator games, as a way to replicate the growth of pokémon as they receive experience in battle. But off the back of those games, the scientists in charge of the pokédex’s development found that, as pokémon evolve in such different ways to any other creatures, the variations within species were small enough that tracking their development could be done to a bizarre level of accuracy. As a result, they began to predict how strong a pokémon was based on how much fighting experience they had, and how much experience these pokémon needed to safely learn new skills and evolve. So, being the massive nerds they were, the scientists started programming pokédexes to attribute levels to pokémon based on their age and experience levels, just like in the games.

Speaking of how little variation pokémon have within their species, I guess it’s time for this pathlewog to shock us all with another Tail Whip -

**_The wild PATHLEWOG used BITE!_**

… Wait, really? There are Pathlewog that can do that?

I had no idea. The rest of them have seemed so much more interested in pathetically flinging their enormous tails about to harmlessly try to knock Emblun a little off-kilter before they get knocked out. I guess this one must have had a particularly nibbley parent to learn from.

But I still don’t _need_ the pokémon centre, right? It didn’t do _that_ much damage…

No, I should, I really should.

Huh. Guess I’ve got to go and see Benjy then.

That’s… fine.

[“Emblun, ti’n gwybod be i’w wneud,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#n4) I say, finishing off the battle.

**_EMBLUN used SCRATCH! The wild PATHLEWOG fainted!_**

… Ok, fine, I admit it, I’ve totally been procrastinating from going to see Benjy.

It’s an intimidating prospect. My cousin Benjy has been beating me in Pokémon journey simulations for as long as the games have been made. Around half a year ago, he circumvented Igrisu’s strict Pokémon journey age restrictions, deciding that if eleven years old was old enough for Ethan Gold to take down Team Rocket, then 16 was more than old enough for him to set off. Wonder-trading his laptop for a baby Zigzagoon[[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Zigzagoon_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))] online, he lied about his age to every Gym Leader and Pokémon Centre he came across, beating the Elite Four a little less than three months into his journey. Growing bored of his home country, he then went on to travel overseas to Kalos, where he was actually old enough to get a starter pokémon legally. The last I’d heard of him, he’d beaten the Elite Four there as well, and was spending his time travelling the land and trying to find any and all of the Legendary Pokémon that hadn’t already been tracked down by the famous Serena Duchamps. He’d even managed to find a couple of them.

On top of all that, I can’t even resent him for all that properly because he makes me laugh so bloody much.

I’d expected him to go to one of the big-league nations from there, like Kanto or Hoenn. The concept of travelling across Weruzu at the same time as him is, to say the least, overwhelming.

Luckily, I’m distracted from my brooding by a plume of smoke, accompanied by a tinny celebratory noise from my Pokédex.

**_EMBLUN grew to level 7! EMBLUN learned EMBER!_**

Emblun is so excited he jumps on my chest. I’m not entirely certain if the black patch that appears on the collar of my t-shirt is just ash, or if he’s actually singed it; either way, my neck suddenly feels terribly warm. I smile back at the proud face grinning up at me.

[“Tyd ‘wan, ta, fy llosgwr bach...”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#n5) I say to him, as we walk north to Bangor City. [“...Amser i chi gyfarfod fy gefndar.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#n6)

At least I can be fairly confident that he won’t have a Pathlewog.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[PATHLEWOG.](http://66.media.tumblr.com/0f7341948bc22d84c65465523830cbe8/tumblr_inline_o1iv3sV2IV1r7q5l0_540.jpg)_ **

**_The DORMOUSE pokemon._ **

**_Normal type._ **

**_In cold weather, the hair on this Pokemon's tail stands on end, doubling in width so the tail can be used as a blanket._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 'Go, Emblun! Scratch him into little bits!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#return1)]  
> 2 'Emblun, scratch him to finish him up.' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#return2)]  
> 3 'Move that backside, Emblun!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#return3)]  
> 4 'Emblun, you know what to do.' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#return4)]  
> 5 'Come on then, my little arsonist...'[[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#return5)]  
> 6 '...time for you to meet my cousin.' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15795952#return5)]  
> 


	3. Chapter 3

["Bori de!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n1) Benjy shouts at me, butchering the only Wēruze phrase he knows so badly that it makes my soul wince. I wave back, walking over to the Bangor City gym, where he’s stood happily chatting to mam. From the look on her face, she’s just starting to get tired of speaking Sinnohese. Mum once described her Sinnohese as being [“fel Mellgi](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n2)[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/cffb769ca7c69fa4ee1167b7c29839c6/tumblr_inline_o4i93gooiX1r7q5l0_500.jpg)][ drewllyd; digon dda pan da chi angen o, ond dwi ddim yn hoffi ei ymarfer llawer.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n2) It’s probably a good thing I’m here to take over.

“Hey, Benj,” I nod to him, bringing him in for a quick hug. Despite any mixed feelings I might have about him being here, it’s really good to see him - it’s been an age since he’s been here as anything but a projection on my Holo Caster.

He gestures at the locked doors of the Gym behind us. “Looks like this Marged woman’s out. Shame, right? Who can we possibly embarrass ourselves against with our level five pokémon?”

I laugh a little in response. I’m not even a little bit unhappy that Marged Fwyn Ach Ifan isn’t going to be the first gym leader I’ll face. It’s possible that everyone hears the scariest things about the gym leaders they grow up closest to, but I’m fairly certain that Marged has a reputation for being the most ruthless trainer this side of the Elite Four. I went to school around the corner from here, and it seemed like every lunchtime I could spy a grown man leaving the gym in tears. Sometimes the kids would chant a little rhyme at challengers before they entered her battlefield:

[“Mae gan Marged Fwyn Ach Ifan](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n3)  
[Cinbinn](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n3)[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/a4a5935b4fb640438216a9f2d2e3beba/tumblr_inline_nx31lnDmKP1r7q5l0_500.jpg)][ fawr a Cinbinn fechan;](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n3)  
[Un i ‘ddifyn ei bathodyn,  
](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n3)[Ac un i torri esgyrn wedyn.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n3)

I think facing Benjy is more than filling my bravery quota on my first day as an official trainer; Marged can wait.

“So you don’t have any of your old pokémon with you at all, then?” I ask, a little amazed. I can’t imagine purposefully giving up a team of pokémon after getting attached to them - the idea of not seeing mam’s Merlech[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/b859ef9da3e1ceae44dcb40f28d58e6a/tumblr_inline_o1z6sbOrY01r7q5l0_500.jpg)] every morning is strange enough, and she isn’t even mine.

“Nope! It’d feel too much like cheating. I’ve put them in my PC, so I can still get them out and play with them once in a while, but for my actual journey it’s just me and whoever I meet on the way to being the Champion.” He tosses a pokéball in the air and catches it as he says this, looking for all the world like the cockiest trainer images our childhood games have ever had to offer. He’s cool enough to carry it off, but only just.

“So which starter did you go for, then?” I ask, even though I’m already pretty sure I know the answer.

Sure enough, he snorts like it’s the stupidest question in the world. “Come on, of course I went for the one that’s good against yours. You think I’d miss the chance to Blue Oak you?”

“Did you ever actually call your rival Blue Oak? I wouldn’t have put you down as such a traditionalist. I always just called him Douche.”

(This is a lie. I don’t quite know if Benjy would be offended or proud to know I usually named my rival after him, and I don’t intend to find out.)

He smirks. “Well, a little tradition never hurt anyone. Speaking of which…” he stops throwing the ball around to look in my eyes full of excitement. “Fancy a match?”

I saw this coming, and am glad I managed to pop into the Pokémon Center before heading over to him. “Go on then,” I reply, and gesture to Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)], who stops sniffing the gym walls to come bounding over. [“Dos, Emblun!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n4)

Benjy grins a little wider; there’s something quite encouraging about the fact that, even after beating two groups of Elite Four, he’s still this excited about this battle between two Pokémon below level ten. He tosses his pokéball to the ground and shouts “Go, Ziggy!”

The Morling[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/e9e622614cfeac85e436b28a1e11befe/tumblr_inline_o2rm6yceE41r7q5l0_500.jpg)] I met this morning pops out of the ball and flaps its fins happily, but I’m still staring at Benjy, stifling a laugh. “‘Ziggy’? Why’d you call her that?”

He looks at me like I’ve disappointed him tremendously. “Like Ziggy Stardust. Obviously. I’m giving my pokémon Bowie-themed nicknames. In memoriam and that.”

I feel bad for laughing - I know that David Bowie, the singer and psychic-type gym leader from Igrisu, was an idol to Benjy and that he must have been devastated when the man died a month ago. That doesn’t quite stop me from chuckling, though. “Ok, but you do realise your Morling is female though, right?”

He rolls his eyes at me. “Oh yeah, because David Bowie cared so much about gender roles.”

I decide not to argue any more - it’s not like I’m the world’s biggest advocate for the gender binary. Instead, I pay a little more attention to the match at hand.

I have to admit, I’m not entirely certain why we’re even fighting at this point. We both know that this is an unfair match - I might have only had my pokémon for half an hour longer than Benjy, but two levels makes a lot of difference when that’s nearly half your total amount of levels, and I’m fairly certain that Morling doesn’t know any water type moves. Benjy might be cocky, but he can’t be cocky enough to think he’ll win. I can only imagine he’s just using this match as a warm-up.

[“Emblun, defnyddiwch Chwip-Cynffon!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n5)

“Ziggy, use Tail Whip!”

Emblun is faster, by virtue of both his higher level of experience and Ziggy’s more relaxed nature, and so uses tail whip first, wagging his tail innocently to make the Morling less wary. Ziggy then uses the same move to swing her tail at Emblun, so that he has to dodge wildly to avoid tripping up. It’s true that both techniques have had the intended effect - the pokémon both seem more vulnerable to future attacks than they were before this round - but I can’t help but wonder how accurate the stat system demonstrated in the simulations are to real life. Can it really still be effective six times in a match? How much less wary can a Pokémon be of, for instance, a Blastoise that used hydro pump the move before?

“Tackle him, Ziggy!” Benjy yells out as soon as she’s finished whipping her tail. Traditional league rules state that we should key in the moves we’re going to use into our pokédex before shouting them, so trainers can’t change their minds upon hearing the other trainer’s choice, but it sounds like Benjy’s impatient enough to bypass that rule. I can’t say I blame him; as much as I love Emblun, his move set isn’t interesting enough yet for Ziggy to be tackling herself into a master trap. 

[“'Crafa hi, Emblun!'”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n6) I shout, and Emblun obliges, skittering up to Ziggy and raking his claws across her face, eliciting a harsh, painful noise from the Morlun. Ziggy, in turn, pushes herself into Emblun, throwing him back in my direction.

I’ll give her this much - Ziggy’s putting up a better fight than I had expected from a pokémon so fresh from the lab. Emblun has a pretty mean Scratch, but even with her defences lowered, she’s still been left with a very respectable composure, and has left Emblun pretty breathless. Still, she’s only got one round left in her, and we all know who’s going first this round. [“Crafa hi,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n7) I say to Emblun once again, and Benjy barely even bothers to announce a move in response.

“Nice one,” Benjy says, returning Ziggy to her pokéball as Emblun leaves his final graze. “Could almost believe that beating you to being champion's gonna be a challenge.”

“Sod off,” I chortle in reply, trying to pretend he isn’t being serious. I hate how confident he can be even when he’s just been beaten.

[“Da chi ‘di gorffen dy gystadleuaeth pisio, eto?”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n8) Comes mam’s voice from behind me. I turn around to see her emerge from the Poké Mart; I’m a little embarrassed to realise I hadn’t even noticed her leave.

I answer with a smile, [“Mwy neu lai. Lle es ti, ta?”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n9)

[“I gael presant pen-blwydd arall i chi, wrth gwrs! O’n i’n meddwl fydd pump pêl-pocad yn digon i chi ffeindio ffrindiau i Emblun bach.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n10) She hands over five red and white pokéballs for me to put in my rucksack.

“Okay,” interrupts Benjy, who has been looking at us with a fairly blank expression, “as fun as it is to listen to you guys say your nonsense words at each other, I’ve got a league to beat. As a great man once said, smell ya later!”

He walks backwards while waving, then turns on his heel and runs south-east to route 417. I’m not going to lie - I’m a little disappointed he went the right way. I was hoping he’d end up going down route 418, which is quickly blocked by large boulders, or route 422, which - as the entrance to the pokémon league - isn’t admissible to anyone without gym badges. Neither decision would have bought me that much time, but it would have been funny.

Mum nods after him. [“‘Da chi am ddilyn o, felly?”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n11) she asks me.

It’s a fair question - I don’t know if I am going to follow him. Mam and I haven’t really talked about how it’s my birthday tomorrow, and no matter how excited I am to start on my journey, I don’t want to act like I’m desperate to spend it away from my family. I reply, [“wel, dwi digon hapus i aros tan foru…”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n12)

Mam isn’t having any of it. [“Paid a bod yn dafft. Ti’n meddwl chi di’r unig un sy’n gyffrous i chi fod ar dy ffordd? Wnei di gael digon o penblwyddi - hwn ydi dy siwrna cynta, ‘da chi ddim eisio wastio diwrnod ohono yn disgwyl i hi ddechra. Os wnei di wneud yn siwr i galw fi pryd bynnag ‘da chi’n dod at trê newydd, byddai’n hapus.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n13)

I would protest, but I can’t even pretend I’m not itching to go. [“Wyt ti’n siwr?”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n14)

She gestures to Emblun. [“Wel, fydd rhaid i mi fod, rwan! Dwi’n barod di rhoi dy bresanta i gyd i chi!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#n15)

She smiles widely while saying the last sentence, as if to let me know it’s ok to be happy. And I am, hugging her as tightly as I can before kissing her cheek and taking off running down the street to route 417, Emblun zooming along beside me.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[MORLING.](http://66.media.tumblr.com/e9e622614cfeac85e436b28a1e11befe/tumblr_inline_o2rm6yceE41r7q5l0_500.jpg)_ **

**_The INFANT MORGAN pokemon._ **

**_Water type._ **

**_When Morling are first hatched, they press shards of their eggs firmly against their bodies to create the scales on their stomachs. Scales of Morling whose eggs hatch deep underwater are said to turn gold._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 He’s trying to say ‘bore da’, which means ‘good morning’, but what he’s actually said - albeit with terrible grammar - means ‘south grazing’. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return1)]  
> 2 ‘Like a badly smelling Mellgi[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/cffb769ca7c69fa4ee1167b7c29839c6/tumblr_inline_o4i93gooiX1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] \- good enough when you need it, but I don’t like exercising it much.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return2)]  
> 3 'Fair Marged, daughter of Ifan, has  
> a big Cinbinn[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/a4a5935b4fb640438216a9f2d2e3beba/tumblr_inline_nx31lnDmKP1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] and a little Cinbinn;  
> one for defending her gym’s badge,  
> and one to break people’s bones afterwards.' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return3)]  
> 4 ‘Go, Emblun!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return4)]  
> 5 ‘Emblun, use tail whip!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return5)]  
> 6 ‘Scratch her, Emblun!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return6)]  
> 7 ‘Scratch her.’ I mean, you probably could have remembered this - it's the last thing I said. Come on, guys. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return7)]  
> 8 ‘Have you finished your pissing contest yet?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return8)]  
> 9 ‘More or less. Where did you go, then?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/15807463/chapters/15658330#return9)]  
> 10‘To get another birthday present, of course. I thought five poké balls would be enough for you to find some friends for little Emblun.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return10)]  
> 11 ‘Are you going to follow him, then?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return11)]  
> 12 ‘Well, I’m happy enough to stay until tomorrow…’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return12)]  
> 13 ‘Don’t be daft. You think you’re the only one excited for you to be on your way? You’ll have plenty of birthdays - this is your first journey, and you don’t want to waste a day waiting for it to start! As long as you make sure to call me whenever you get to a new city, I’ll be happy.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return13)]  
> 14 ‘Are you sure?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return14)]  
> 15 ‘Well, I’ll have to be, now! I’ve already given you all your presents!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return15)]


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found the pokédollar symbol online, but I was never going to be able to insert that into AO3, so you'll all have to be happy with ~~P~~.
> 
> Anywho - time for y'all to meet a few more members of the team!

I don’t think I’ve ever had such sore blisters on my feet in my life.

I had, technically, been aware before now that the routes I’d walked on my simulator games were a lot longer in real life. That’s basic stuff, like how real Pokémon Centres aren’t really smaller on the outside, or how Professor Oak’s family home probably has more than two rooms shared between three people. (I’ll admit, I didn’t know the route thing for certain until I was eleven, when I asked Benjy if he knew how Wailords[[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Wailord_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))] could fight in a cave the size of my living room. He laughed in my face, which I feel like I deserved, in hindsight.) But it hadn’t really sunk in how long routes actually were.

By my estimation, I set off from Bangor City at 8 o’clock this morning. I didn’t stop travelling until about twenty minutes ago, which is when I collapsed, pained and exhausted, into a chair in the lobby of the pokémon centre that I found inexplicably situated directly outside the north-western entrance of Clocaenog Forest, about halfway to Wrexham City. Now it’s 5:30 in the evening, and one of the nurses keeps coming over to me and asking if she should prepare one of the beds so that I can stay the night.

There’s an elderly man stood by the reception selling poké balls for ~~P~~ 500 each. If I came across this man in a simulator, I’d think this was ridiculous, but I’ve run out of pokéballs, and the idea of going all the way back to Bangor City to save a little money seems much more ridiculous right now. I think I’ll have to have a word with him when my legs stop throbbing quite as much.

I’m taking advantage of the safety of the centre to let all my pokémon out of their balls. I always try to give each pokémon some time walking with me outside of their balls so that I can get to know what they’re like when they aren’t in battle, but in the wild, it tends to be a bad idea to do this with more than one pokémon at a time for fear of losing track on them. As a result, this is the first real opportunity my team has had to interact together when they haven’t been fighting each other.

The first pokémon I caught, Gwendeg[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/422ba53e3414892a5604f0ab43103bde/tumblr_inline_o2x184I2f11r7q5l0_540.jpg)], is the nosiest of the bunch, running up to every creature he sees - myself included - and making a large show of sniffing them. I think the weasel pokémon’s curiosity has quite a polarising effect on my other pokémon, with some reciprocating his interest and some actively making an effort to get away from him. I had initially thought that Gwendeg and Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)] would be sure to make fast friends, due to the apparently limitless well of energy they have in common, but their personalities seem to clash a little; when Gwendeg is focusing his energy on trying to get close to Emblun, the little lizard pokémon gets terribly annoyed. I think he suspects that Gwendeg wants to get in the way of Emblun’s boundless explorations in every possible direction.

One pokémon who doesn’t seem to mind Gwendeg’s affections is Hetling[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/20ad5bfee3e436bde937296bdac9f111/tumblr_inline_o272clRL8f1r7q5l0_540.jpg)], the second pokémon I caught on route 417. Though she seems happy enough to stay in one place, swaying happily from side to side fairly close to my feet, she seems genuinely delighted when any pokémon comes near her, often giggling coyly and reaching out her leafy arms to touch them. It’s difficult to tell, given how enthusiastic he can be about so very many things, but Emblun seems quite flattered by this; the time he spent running in circles around her and rubbing his head against her is the longest I’ve seen him focus on one thing all day.

I think Hetling is staying so close to me because it’s only very recently that I’ve stopped being very wary of her. When I was nine or ten years old, I went out picking bluk berries with my mother and ended up touching a Hetling with Poison Point as its ability, and I had to be taken to the pokémon centre. I can still taste the antidote I had to swallow every time I see one. This particular foxglove pokémon may have won me over with her gentle smile, but I still jump when she sways too quickly in my direction.

Emblun, Gwendeg and Hetling are the only members of my team above level five - levels ten, eight and seven, respectively - and by extension, I’m much more confident sending them into battle. This is largely because it is with these pokémon that I confronted the youngsters and lasses I met near the beginning of my journey, a group I referred to as the School Run.

Children under the age of seventeen aren’t allowed to go on pokémon journeys in Wēruzu or the regions nearest to us, for reasons that I really think should be obvious to anyone who’s ever been under the age of seventeen. We usually refer to the astonishing number of regions which allow children to set off at age ten as ["y gwladau gadawiad”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15941896#n1). (I love Benjy, and I’m glad he was successful, but the very fact that he was willing to trade a laptop for a baby Zigzagoon[[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Zigzagoon_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))] still makes me sceptical that he was really ready.) However, there’s always a few people in any school who get cocky because they were given one or two of their parents’ less dangerous pokémon to help them get to school safely. 

I was on route 417 right on time to be challenged by six such trainers in quick succession, even with a break halfway through to go to the pokémon centre. I had half a mind to go into [Ysgol Hyfforddiant Bangor](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15941896#n2) and apologise to the headmaster for making them late for their classes - some of the bravado-filled idiots certainly needed it. One of them, spitting Sinnohese because he presumably thought it sounded cooler, confidently started our battle by saying “my mam said I couldn't wear shorts in winter, but she can’t tell me what to do!”, apparently unaware that it was the middle of summer.

I wouldn’t say I _needed_ the pokémon centre again at this point, but I was very aware of being an hour’s walk away from it; by the time I needed it, it would likely be too late. As such, I decided to walk back and stock up on potions while I was there. On the way back, I wandered just far enough from the beaten path to find a discarded pokéball on the ground, and with it, caught another pokémon.

To be brutally honest, this one is unlikely to stay in my party for longer. I’m not just saying this because he’s a Pathlewog[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/0f7341948bc22d84c65465523830cbe8/tumblr_inline_o1iv3sV2IV1r7q5l0_540.jpg)]. I swear, I did give him a chance. And I’ll say this much, he hasn’t been completely useless since he learned Tackle. (As a side note, I still think a species has to be astoundingly stupid to actively have to _learn_ Tackle. It’s just running in a straight line towards another pokémon, for Meheleos’s [[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/c5a561640fa08616d145476466034884/tumblr_inline_o52bynniUx1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] sake.) But this particular little critter’s scared of absolutely everything. This is less of an issue in battle than you might think - fear makes for a great adrenaline kick - but right now, when he’s surrounded by his teammates, it’s debilitating.

At first, I thought he was only scared of Gwendeg and Emblun, as they were the ones he saw when I was first in battle with him. Then Hetling adjusted herself in his direction, and he screeched loudly enough that a nurse ran over to our group with a revive spray in her hand and a look of deep concern on her face. Pathlewog has been hiding under the table ever since. I honestly think the most kind thing would be to deposit him in the pokémon centre computer. He’ll be much happier in that extensive virtual world if this is how he reacts to our one.

By the time I had returned to Bangor, healed my pokémon and stocked up on potions, the time was well past midday. After a light lunch, I started worrying about the head-start I was giving Benjy, I decided to make better use of my running shoes this time around. This decision is probably where the blisters developed from.

When I reached the spot I had reached on my previous jaunt across the route, I made the decision to stick to the grassy fields rather than venturing into the marshy areas of the route, largely because I assumed the wetter ground would slow me down more than the slight increase in length. I’ve yet to decide whether this was an error on my part. 

I wouldn’t describe the following four hours of running across fields as “dull”, since a lifetime of waiting to start my journey had given me an appreciation of anything I hadn’t seen a thousand times before. That being said, not much happened that I would expect anyone else to find interesting. The first exception was a rare confrontation with a Pengerrynt[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/0f89ae2235ae0397222859687601c3f4/tumblr_inline_o1iuzzbAco1r7q5l0_540.jpg)], a creature which managed to break out of all but one of my pokéballs before Hetling accidentally knocked it out in trying to weaken it further. The other exception was the capture of the most recent pokémon to join my party; the Barkid[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/ac0ad2b8ac409a1c9ddfb13731692db2/tumblr_inline_o2cpe05eNZ1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] currently sitting on the table in front of me.

I actually know a fair amount about Barkid as a pokémon, simply because mam spent a while studying them with Professor Yew not too long ago. For example; there’s a popular stereotype in Wēruzu that all Barkid do all day is lay around and sleep, like flying-type Snorlax[[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Snorlax_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))], and that’s simply not true. You see, the common Barkid is born with wings that are incredibly small in proportion to their large, round bodies. Now, this certainly isn’t a problem faced by their fully evolved counterparts, Barqueen[[wtp?](http://65.media.tumblr.com/f30c637a5d140701693181fffb86d4c7/tumblr_inline_o2cpefnWy41r7q5l0_500.jpg)], which famously fly so high and so elegantly that they never fly low enough to be battled unless they deem an opponent worthy to be fought. The issue is that most Barkid can’t quite understand the difference between themselves and Barqueen. The result of this is that Barkid found in the wild are usually sleeping - not because they’re inherently lazy creatures, but because most of them spend all their time exhausting themselves by flapping their tiny wings as hard as physically possible, trying to get as high as their elder counterparts.

I bring all this up because my Barkid may be the laziest creature in the entire world.

She might not be able to understand the difference between herself and Barqueen, but she also isn’t able to give a damn. I don’t think she caught the memo about how she supposedly comes from such a hard-working species. She hasn’t made any attempt to get off the ground in all the time she’s travelled with me, and all her time walking with me has been spent lagging behind and cooing at me in protest. The whole time we’ve been at the Pokémon centre, she’s been lying on her back, happily avoiding the slightest movement. Once in a while, she’ll shoot this terribly unimpressed glance at Emblun as he runs by, as though he’s terrifically stupid for expending any energy at all.

A sadistic part of me loves sending her out in battle just to get her off her arse. This is why I shouldn’t be a parent.

I look down at my blistered feet one more time. I suppose staying the night here outside the forest isn’t such a bad idea. It’d mean I could camp out in the tall grass outside and train my pokémon up a little, before resting these battered legs and making sure I can get to Wrexham tomorrow without any problems.

But where’s the fun in that?

I get to my feet, barely flinching at all, and hobble over to the man selling the pokéballs, in case I run into some particularly interesting forest-dwellers tonight. If I’m lucky, he might even have some blister plasters to overcharge me for as well.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[BARKID.](http://66.media.tumblr.com/ac0ad2b8ac409a1c9ddfb13731692db2/tumblr_inline_o2cpe05eNZ1r7q5l0_500.jpg)_ **

**_The YOUNG KITE pokemon._ **

**_Normal/Flying type._ **

**_When Barkid are born, their mother feeds them a peculiar nut that makes their stomach swell. Without this, Barkid could never eat enough to produce the energy to fly on its tiny wings._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 'The abandonment countries.' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15941896#return1)]  
> 2 Bangor Training School [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15941896#return2)]  
> 


	5. Chapter 5

[“O, na! Fy mhokémon pryfed!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16094518#n1)

I impatiently take the bug catcher’s money and wait for him to leave me alone. When I started off this morning, whenever I would knock out a trainer’s party, I would make a point of waiting with the trainer for the paramedic team to arrive and take them back to the pokémon centre - a process known as “whiting out,” named for the paramedics' long, white coats. By now, though, I’m honestly too eager to get to Wrexham City and go to sleep.

I feel a little bad for not feeling bad for him. I know that I’m tremendously lucky that none of my pokémon have fainted yet, and I can’t quite imagine how horrible it must feel for all of your pokémon companions to lose consciousness under your command. But it has to be said, a day full of trainers running up to me to have their pokémon beaten has made me pretty numb to their sorrows. To be perfectly honest, I’m mostly just wondering why anyone would actually be out at half past eleven at night trying to catch bug pokémon. 

When I first got my poképad - a piece of technology that allows me to access the internet, manage pokémon's “super-training” equipment within their balls, and create live 3D holograms of anyone I’m talking to - I never expected there to be a time where the flashlight function would be the most useful thing about it. But here we are. By now, with the trees above my head blocking out any and all potential moonlight, it’s the only thing that might get me out of this forest before dawn. I’m trying very hard not to think about the machine’s battery life. 

The leaves on Hetling’s chest rustle as she waddles along behind me. Hetling[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/20ad5bfee3e436bde937296bdac9f111/tumblr_inline_o272clRL8f1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] is really the only choice I have to walk with at the moment. Pulling along my grumbling barkid[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/ac0ad2b8ac409a1c9ddfb13731692db2/tumblr_inline_o2cpe05eNZ1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] was fun when I first entered the forest, but as the light began to dwindle between the trees, trying to convince the baby kite pokémon to move its lazy behind became a tremendous drain on time that I quickly felt I couldn’t afford. Conversely, Emblun’s[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)] habit of running off is a terrible liability in the dark - the one time I let him out in the forest outside of battle, it took me ten minutes of frantic search and rushed battles to find him again, at which point he looked at me like he was pleasantly surprised i still existed, rubbed his head against my ankle and was terribly close to running away again before I managed to get him back in his ball. Gwendeg[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/422ba53e3414892a5604f0ab43103bde/tumblr_inline_o2x184I2f11r7q5l0_540.jpg)] lasted a little longer outside his ball, but his weakness to poison types proved to be a difficulty. The abundant wurmple[[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Wurmple_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))] and hetling in the forest meant that I had to switch him out with other pokémon constantly, and he started making very distressing noises when I wouldn’t let him near these potential new friends.

Hetling, however, has been a delightful walking companion. Despite my initial fears that Hetling’s green body would act as camouflage among the trees, her vivid purple head makes her very difficult to lose. Additionally, since I ran out of antidotes some time ago, her immunity to being poisoned is a gift that keeps on giving.

It’s hard to tell when the path will take a jarring ninety degree turn and add another half hour to the journey - whoever designed this path didn’t seem to consider ease of navigation a priority at all - but I nevertheless think it’s a good sign that I can see a light through the trees. I would be running towards it, but a rustling in the long grass to my right makes me pause.

If I squint pretty hard, I can see the outline of a wurmple in the rustling grass. The wurmple itself is hardly anything to write home about - I have seen dozens of wurmple already this evening, and I am excited enough about them to have avoided capturing a single one - but the amount it’s wriggling about is a little more interesting. If there’s one thing I learned from the Ruby simulator remake that came out two years ago, it’s that any pokémon which makes this much movement is one that’s a little different from the rest, and wants to be found. This usually means different moves, like the biting pathlewog I met outside my home - and if I’m lucky with this wurmple, it might mean a strong bug-type move, which would come in handy against the dark-type gym in Wrexham City.

As I get closer, however, I start to realise that there’s something odd about this wurmple. The way it’s thrashing about seems tremendously unnatural; its legs seem to be flailing around in the air more often than not, giving the impression that it’s being thrown about rather than moving by itself. Not only that, but the wurmple’s body seems much paler than usual. I initially brush this off as a consequence of the light from my poképad standing out in the darkness of the forest, but none of the other wurmple I’ve seen have looked this pale, and the closer I get the more it seems positively _lifeless_ …

Before my eyes, the sheet-white face of a prysbryd[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/465f424c7777bb077d1cf50e92e034f2/tumblr_inline_o4fuk8XH3g1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] pokes its eyeless face out from the wurmple corpse’s chest.

I’m not ashamed that my first instinct is to scream.

I mean, look at it from my point of view. I’ve been privy to enough holiday campfire tales to be open to the idea that ghost pokémon are, in fact, the reincarnated souls of other dead pokémon. (If you think it’s irrational to believe a tale that sounds so fantastical, you’ve never seen a geodude lay an egg.) All of the evidence exists in front of me that I’m witnessing a spirit pokémon emerging from its grave to haunt the earth. Even when I calm down and recognise that it’s far more likely that I’m only seeing a regular prysbryd having a midnight snack, there’s something about the ghost-bug-type pokémon taking a large bite from another, more-permanantly-dead bug-type pokemon that seems tremendously like cannibalism. Who wouldn’t scream?

Anyway, one thing’s for certain - having a special move is not the only reason a pokémon might make the grass shake; being eaten from the inside apparently creates a lot of movement as well. I feel like the simulators have lied to me.

I refrain from bringing out Emblun to kill the creature with fire. The more this prysbryd emerges from her dinner’s lifeless husk, and the less I think about her using phrases like “emerging from her dinner’s lifeless husk,” the more I feel like I could get past this creepy first impression. It’s not as though it’s news that most pokémon in the wild have to eat other pokémon. It’s only recently that scientists have started using the size-changing technology inherent in poké balls to enlarge the meals of caught pokémon and limit the need to hunt. Hell, the average human’s diet kills more pokémon in less ethical ways than any pokémon could ever dream of; I’ve signed enough “ban farfetch’d[[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Farfetch%27d_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))] hunting” petitions to know that. Even vegetarians like myself have to keep a careful eye out for “may contain oddish[[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Oddish_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))]” labels. All things considered, this prysbryd eating a wurmple that was already dead in the first place is pretty tame stuff, if not particularly pleasant to watch.

 _Besides_ , I think, as I look at the deep tooth marks Prysbryd has left in the wurmple’s body, _it looks like she already knows Bug Bite_.

[“Dos, Hetling!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16094518#n2) I call to Hetling, as I search my bag for an empty poké ball.  [“Defnyddia Chwip Winwydd!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16094518#n3)

I can’t help wondering how _this_ creature will fit in with the rest of the team…

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[PRYSBRYD. ](http://66.media.tumblr.com/465f424c7777bb077d1cf50e92e034f2/tumblr_inline_o4fuk8XH3g1r7q5l0_500.jpg) _ **

**_The GHOST SLUG pokemon._ **

**_Bug/Ghost type._ **

**_Despite having no sense of sight and a poor sense of smell, their spacial awareness is remarkable. This has baffled scientists for decades._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 'Oh no! My insect pokémon!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16094518#return1)]  
> 2 'Go, Hetling!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16094518#return2)]  
> 3 'Use Vine Whip!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16094518#return3)]  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

“Come on cuz, rise and shine! It’s a brand new day!”

“MmmmRRRRRMMMMPH!”

“Okay, you’re right, it’s not a totally brand new day, you’ve missed a couple hours of it, but that’s all the more reason for you to get up now! Come on, I’ve got something really important to show you.”

Benjy is saying this from a position that’s calculatedly just too far away for me to take a swing at him as I begrudgingly haul myself out of bed. It’s nine o’clock in the morning now, and while that’s only a half hour earlier than I’d set my alarm, that half hour seems like a real slap in the face when I’ve only slept for six of the last sixty hours. Of course Benjy looks terribly well-rested; according to the tremendously obnoxious Pidger feed I read last night, he made it to Wrexham City at midnight, a solid four hours before I blearily stumbled through the Pokémon Center doors.

“Come on, kid,” he says, which wouldn’t come across as quite so patronising if he wasn’t the best part of a year younger than me. I check that the pokéballs containing my team are still where I’d left them on my belt, swing my rucksack onto my back and follow Benjy out of the hostel area of the Wrexham City pokémon center, with the stuffy feeling that should be familiar to anyone who’s ever been too tired to change out of their clothes the night before.

When we make it out of the Pokémon Center, I’ve woken up just enough to question what’s going on. “So what’s this really important thing you have to show me?”

He points to a flower patch a short distance from the pokémon center, where wild pokémon occasionally gather. “Best to show you over there,” he says.

I’m now as curious as my terribly weary brain will allow. What could he have to show me that was worth waking me up like this? “Well?” I ask, when we get to the flower patch.

He scans the flowers carefully. “I realised something terrible which could affect the outcome of your entire journey,” he answers, gravely.

“Go on then,” I reply, nervously.

“I realised that nobody’s given you a tutorial on how to catch pokémon.”

I blink at him, dumbly. “Pardon?”

“Ah, here’s one!” He says, as a melygath[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/806399a1c3f04771aac74663f8eec8e2/tumblr_inline_nx31ysldhb1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] appears in the flowers. “So the first thing you’ve got to do is -”

“No, hold on. You do realise I’ve already caught six pokémon, right?”

“Gosh, very impressive. Just imagine how many you’ll be able to catch after you’ve had your very own pokémon-catching tutorial. So the first thing you do is, you send out your own pokémon to weaken them. Now, this bit’s very important - to do that, you’ve got to press the button in the middle of their ball…”

“Hilarious,” I mutter, bemusedly, as a Pengerrynt[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/0f89ae2235ae0397222859687601c3f4/tumblr_inline_o1iuzzbAco1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] emerges from the ball. I’m not going to lie, in a few hours I’m sure I’ll find this hilarious, but at the moment I’m mostly thinking of the Pokémon Center bed I had to leave behind to watch someone who isn’t me catch a pokémon that he probably doesn’t even realise is actually really rare this far north. The melygath is looking almost as annoyed as I am, disinterestedly pawing at his whiskers as he waits for Benjy to announce a move.

“And then what you have to do,” Benjy says slowly, enjoying himself far too much, “is, you weaken the pokémon you’re trying to capture. Now, pay attention, because this bit can be complicated. I’m going to weaken this meely-gat by saying ‘Aladdin! Use quick attack!’ but if the pokémon you’re using isn’t called Aladdin or doesn’t know quick attack, _that’s okay_. You can use _other moves._ ”

“Yeah, very good. It’s pronounced mel-y-gath, by the way. You know, the same way it’s spelled.”

“Who can pronounce anything that comes out of this backwards region? Worse than Kalos, I’m telling you. This is exactly why I use nicknames. So anyway, now you’ve weakened the pokémon, you use a pokéball. Now, it’s _really important_ that you don’t use one that already has a pokémon in it…”

I roll my eyes and watch as he follows his own instructions. A part of me wants the melygath to break out of the pokéball just to knock Benjy’s bravado down a notch, but after rolling about a little, the button in the middle of the ball glows red; the cat pokémon has been successfully caught.

“And there we go!” Benjy says, happily, picking up the ball. “Welcome to the team, Weird.”

I frown. “You’re naming him ‘Weird’? You want to give him a complex, or…?”

“No, it’s from the song, init? 'Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with Weird and Gilly and the spiders from mars.'”

“You _can’t_ have run out of good David Bowie song names that fast.”

“Well, excuse me for wanting to save ‘Jean Genie’ for a fairy type!”

I sigh. Arguing with my cousin is exhausting sometimes. “Ok, so is that all you dragged me out of bed for?”

“Well, I mean, mostly I did it ‘cause your mum asked me to distract you.”

“I… what?”

Benjy gestures behind me with his head, his face only a little smug. I turn around directly into the embrace of my mother in full Merlech-riding[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/b859ef9da3e1ceae44dcb40f28d58e6a/tumblr_inline_o1z6sbOrY01r7q5l0_500.jpg)] gear. Behind her, hanging proudly over the Pokémon Center entrance, is a banner proclaiming [“Penblwydd Hapus, Hyfforddwr!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n1), underneath which Benjy has untidily scribbled “What she said, cuz” in sharpie. I have to confess, I’d completely forgotten that it was my birthday today.

[“Wnes di ddim galw fi i ddweud fod chi wedi cyrraedd yn sâff,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n2) mam reprimands me, still holding me tight.

[“Oeddwn i ddim eisio codi chi am pedwar yn y bore!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n3) I defend myself.

[“Wel, ‘sa chi dal wedi gallu tecstio,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n4) she replies, curtly. [“‘gwon, ta. Gad i mi cyfarfod dy dîm dros brecwast.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n5)

[“Syt wnes ti cyrraedd mor _fuan?_ ”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n6) I ask mam as we walk together, impressed. [“Mae’n raid fod chi wedi dechra am pedwar yn y bore!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n7)

[“Pump,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n8) she corrects me, a little smug. [“Dyla i mi ddiolch i chi - oedd o’n ymarfer bendigedig i fy Râs Merlech nesa.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#n9)

“Uh, guys,” says Benjy, “I know it’s not _my_ birthday, but I’m right here. It’s really rude of you to use your little language to talk about how jealous you are of me.”

I laugh, happy to have my two closest, dearest and most delightfully annoying family members around me. There are worse reasons to miss out on half an hour’s sleep.

It’s only when we’re sat in the café with menus in hand that Benjy says, “Hold on - are we going to leave that banner up back there?”

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[MELYGATH. ](http://66.media.tumblr.com/806399a1c3f04771aac74663f8eec8e2/tumblr_inline_nx31ysldhb1r7q5l0_500.jpg) _ **

**_The CYMRIC pokemon._ **

**_Normal type._ **

**_If a human who is not Melygath’s owner tries to pick it up, it will dig its claws into the ground. No matter how hard the human pulls, it will not be moved._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 ‘Happy Birthday, Trainer!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return1)]  
> 2 ‘You didn’t call me to say you’d arrived safely.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return2)]  
> 3 ‘I didn’t want to wake you at four in the morning!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return3)]  
> 4 ‘Well, you still could have texted.' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return4)]  
> 5 'Go on then - let me meet your team over breakfast.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return5)]  
> 6 ‘How did you get here so _early_?' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return6)]  
>  7 ‘You must have set off at four in the morning!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return7)]  
> 8 ‘Five.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return8)]  
> 9 ‘I should thank you - it was fantastic training for my next Merlech race.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16268855#return9)]  
> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was a little later up than usual! No internet in my new house. Still up on a Sunday, though!

“ _Woodihw_?” 

It’s now getting very close to midday. Benjy left the coffee shop a little while ago in a small huff because we kept accidentally slipping into talking Wēruze, and mam is being terribly mean about the nickname I gave my Sylluan[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/5ccc199f8e3b779568284d0d18432f93/tumblr_inline_o1z6jibHMM1r7q5l0_500.jpg)]. When I caught the leaf owl pokémon in the early hours of the morning, I couldn’t stop myself calling him Woodihw as a pun on [gwdihw.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16454395#n1) Up until about two minutes ago, I was really proud of the pun in question.

[“Mae Woodihw yn enw dda iawn!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16454395#n2) I try to defend myself.

[“ _'Woodihw.'_ ‘Da chi allan o’r tu am dau fynyd a ‘da chi’n barod yn siarad Wēnnohese.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16454395#n3)

[“Yli, oedd o’n tri o’r gloch yn y bore, faint o penderfyniadau da ‘da chi ‘di wneud ar amser yna? Dwi’m yn gallu helpu be dwi’n ffeindio’n ddoniol.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16454395#n4)

I know mam’s just joking around about this, but I wish she wouldn’t. I’m already paranoid enough that I might have given the bird a name he won’t like; I don’t need her to make me feel any worse about making a snap decision when I could barely keep my eyes open. Luckily, there doesn’t seem to be much fear of the bird disliking the name - whenever anyone says it, he’ll turn towards them and flap his wings, hooting sweetly.

In fact, Woodihw - who I would call Woody for short if I didn’t think my mother would disown me - is an all-round trainer’s pet, and has barely stopped staring at me since I let him out of his ball. This makes him easily the most well-behaved member of my team. It’s already been an hour since the barista came over to politely but firmly ask me to put Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)] back in his ball, after he kept climbing on the coffee machines. On the whole, I’m honestly surprised we haven’t been kicked out yet.

Prysbryd[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/465f424c7777bb077d1cf50e92e034f2/tumblr_inline_o4fuk8XH3g1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] gets on with most of my team better than I could ever have imagined, but that doesn’t make her any less unnerving to the human customers of the café. If a person has ever had a phobia, chances are it’s been a phobia of ghost or bug type pokémon, and by extension, there aren’t an awful lot of people who want to see a ghost slug pokémon trailing ectoplasm over the floor of the place they’re eating in. Of course, that isn’t actually what he’s doing right at the moment - right this minute, he’s sitting directly on Hetling’s head, and the two pokémon are waddling around the café for reasons I couldn’t begin to understand. I don’t think this is much less unnerving; it just makes it harder to ignore the eerie, flat, white stretch of skin where his eyes should be. It’s hard to believe Hetling[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/20ad5bfee3e436bde937296bdac9f111/tumblr_inline_o272clRL8f1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] used to be the pokémon I was least comfortable around.

I’ll say this for Gwendeg[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/422ba53e3414892a5604f0ab43103bde/tumblr_inline_o2x184I2f11r7q5l0_540.jpg)] \- he’s actually being mercifully restrained today. Unfortunately, this is largely because he’s the one member of my party who’s absolutely terrified of Prysbryd, and has been ever since he absent-mindedly ran directly through her occasionally-incorporeal head. Even more unfortunately, even when he’s restrained, Gwendeg isn’t the best judge of personal space. He’s been spending most of the afternoon running along the tables of the café and trying to hide behind people’s drinks.

The only pokémon I have who I would expect to be too lazy to scare away customers is Barkid[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/ac0ad2b8ac409a1c9ddfb13731692db2/tumblr_inline_o2cpe05eNZ1r7q5l0_500.jpg)], but as it turns out, Barkid’s laziness is only matched by her interest in pastries. When she first peeked curiously over the seat at the poké fan sitting at the table next to us, I apologised and offered to return her to her ball. “Don’t be ridiculous,” my table neighbour had replied. “I’m hardly going to be bothered by a baby barkid trying to make a friend.” She said this around three seconds before Barkid made a valiant attempt to eat a croissant directly out of her mouth. 

What followed was a tremendously tense twenty minutes, as Barkid crawled towards the poor woman’s food as intimidatingly as possible while still taking care to expend as little energy as she could, and the trainer moved her plate away and insisted with increasing firmness that the “darling” bird was only trying to be friendly. This stand-off was only broken when Barkid jumped clumsily onto the plate and threw her entire wing over the poké fan’s apple pie. The poké fan went bright red, picked up her pikachu-shaped handbag and ran out of the café. Barkid promptly fell asleep on the pie without taking a single bite.

It’s been a little difficult balancing talking with mam and keeping an eye on these little terrors. This is probably why I don’t notice that Benjy has walked back in until he’s sat down right next to us.

“Hey,” he says to us. “What are all these pokémon doing out?”

“I wanted to let them spend some time out of their balls,” I answer.

Benjy looks at me sceptically. As if on cue, there’s a “thunk” noise a few tables over as gwendeg knocks an empty cup to its side. “Good for you, I guess. I didn’t even know you irrationally hated baristas.”

I shrug, playing along. “Well, they shouldn’t have spelled my name wrong.”

“Please. Nobody’s ever spelled your name right.”

“Play nice, kids,” my mam says, which is what she always says when she means ‘play nice, Benjy.”

Benjy shrugs, picks up my coffee, and smells it before putting it back down, apparently deciding not to steal it after all. “Hey, have you checked out the old ironworks downtown? Guy there gives out HM-sixes. No idea why he has multiple machines for the same move or why he’s giving them away, but hey, free Rock Smash.”

“Oh, right,” I reply. I’m aware it’s not the most rational response, but I suddenly feel awkward that I’ve spent the morning celebrating my birthday in a café when I could have been progressing my journey. “Thanks - a fighting type move’ll be really useful for the first gym.”

“Well, sure, if you haven’t beaten the first gym yet.”

That awkward feeling’s getting stronger. “You’ve been gone less than an hour. You’ve already beaten the first gym?”

He snorts. “Cuz, you woke up at ten. I beat the first gym hours ago.”

“….Oh.” I don’t really know what else to say to that.

I consider my options. On the one hand, I know that pushing myself into a battle I wouldn’t normally consider myself ready for just because my rival’s already done it would, if we’re being honest, be a dumb move. There’s no compelling reason why I shouldn’t spend my afternoon shopping with my mam, who’s come all this way to see me, instead of embarrassing myself in front of both her and my rival if the gym battle doesn’t go to plan. 

On the other hand… It’s my birthday, and if Benjy’s got the Shadow Badge, I want to get it too, damn it. It’s not like I’m that unprepared. The only pokémon I have under level eleven is Woodihw, and Emblun’s on the verge of evolving. I’ve won simulation gym battles with much worse prospects than this.

Benjy clears his throat. “Hey, the baristas are putting a sign up saying ‘please leave all pokémon in their balls at all times’, should we be worried about that?”

I finish my drink in one gulp. The amused look on mam’s face makes me suspect she already knows what I’m going to say, but I say it anyway. “Hey, do you guys want to see me win the Shadow Badge?”

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[GWENDEG. ](http://67.media.tumblr.com/422ba53e3414892a5604f0ab43103bde/tumblr_inline_o2x184I2f11r7q5l0_540.jpg) _ **

**_The LEAST WEASEL pokemon._ **

**_Fairy type._ **

**_Although Gwendeg are in many ways unintelligent creatures, it has recently been discovered that they can communicate with each other with a blink-based language too complex for humans to decipher._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 Gwdihw is a slang term in the north of Wēruzu for owl-type pokémon like hoothoot, noctowl and rowlet. Gwdihw would probably also be a Wēruze word for owl animals that aren’t pokémon, whatever the heck those would be like. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16454395#return1)]  
> 2 'Woodihw is a very good name!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16454395#return2)]  
> 3 '"Woodihw." You’re out of the house two minutes and you’re already speaking Wennohese (A derogatory term for speaking with a combination of Weruze and Sinnohese).' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16454395#return3)]  
> 4 'Look, it was three o’clock in the morning, how many good decisions have you made at that time? I can’t help what I find funny.' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16454395#return4)]  
> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introducing Rhita Gawr, the Dark-type Gym Leader of Wrexham City! Outside the pokémon world, R-G was a giant king of legend who once tried to steal King Arthur's beard and was slain in the process. His pokémon are named after Nynniaw and Peibiaw, two other famous welsh kings who once argued over who had dominion over the stars.

“Bwahahahaha!” booms the voice of Rhita, the leader of Wrexham Gym, as I approach his pitch-black stage at the back of the room. I’ve read it in a dozen biographies and nearly as many simulations, but I’ve never heard anyone say ‘Bwahahahaha’ in real life. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it’s a noise that couldn’t really be described as a laugh; it’s more of a statement, a way for the speaker to introduce himself as the most aggressively jolly person in the vicinity. It’s a noise so loud and hearty that it echoes throughout the gym, giving the impression that the enormous man is so confident and bold that he’s projecting the noise from every pore of his body. I can see why so many people worldwide apparently use it as a greeting; I wonder if I’ll ever come across someone saying ‘fufufufufu.’

It’s a noise that is very interesting to hear from Rhita Gawr, who the sign outside proclaims is the “Dastardly Despot of Dark Pokémon”. I imagine to most challengers, this must seem like a cartoonish overstatement of the man’s deviousness. It’s tremendously hard to attribute any kind of negativity to the vision of geniality in front of me - a grinning, grey haired man of comfortable build who anyone in town will tell you is in his last year before retirement,.

Which is exactly what the cunning old devil has been orchestrating for years.

Once a year for the last decade, mam and I have stayed in Wrexham for the night so that she can compete in the Merlech races held there. As a result, I can still quite clearly remember being terrified as a child of a statue of Rhita Gawr’s intimidating figure directly outside this very building. I was plagued by nightmares the night I was told of Rhita’s habit of ripping off a lock of hair from all of the challengers that lose against him with his bare hands, and the perverse thrill he would exhibit when pulling off their beards whole.

Of course, this reputation served him very well back when the majority of pokémon trainers were old enough to have beards. Back in the days when most pokémon league challengers were adult travellers with time to spare and something to prove, the idea of figuratively slaying a giant was a very attractive one indeed. And by keeping his gym as difficult to beat as he could without anyone actively thinking it was impossible, he maintained what must have been a very profitable gym, since he’s one of the very few remaining gym leaders in the world who still hasn’t felt the need to get a second job.

The more that tales and biographies of younger international trainers reached our shores, however, the more he found that prospective challengers were getting younger and younger… and more cautious of risking an unfortunate haircut by going up against the big, bad tyrant. Faced with a generation of trainers whose fear and resources might actually motivate them to train their pokémon to a higher standard than he could beat, he saw to it that the reputation he had spent so many years building for himself was quickly reshaped.

And so, one year, my younger self was tremendously relieved to find that the imposing statue of the scowling Rhita Gawr had vanished without a trace, apparently alongside the scowl on Rhita Gawr’s own face. The man’s features were suddenly softer, his hair thinner and greying; his bellows of anger were replaced with guffaws of laughter, his frown turned upside down. The muscles covering his body were covered with a cloak thick enough that anyone would be forgiven for assuming no muscle existed at all.

And whether the laughter lines that multiplied over his face were genuine or drawn on in pencil, they did the job. Tales of the horrors that befell those who were beaten by him were exchanged for tales of wonder at the riches claimed by the victors, and nobody seemed to notice that the victors in question were no less rare than they were before. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear he’d made a second small fortune out of making himself easy to underestimate.

Part of this new image means that for the last five years of visiting Wrexham, without fail, my mam and I have been told by a passer-by that Rhita is in his last year before retirement. Curiously, they tend to omit the fact that that retirement looks to be a very wealthy one indeed.

In fact, the only remaining clue that Rhita is even the same man I heard all those tales about ten years ago is the enormous patchwork cloak covering his body, which - if you looked really, really closely - looks like it could, ever so possibly, have been fashioned from dozens upon dozens of beards.

[“Croeso i campfa Dinas Wrexham! Gobeithio wnei di goroesi’r broad!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n1)

His welcome is a tremendously late one; I’ve now been in the gym for about half an hour. In fact, Rhita has already watched me as I beat the Youngster and Delinquent trainers of the gym, started walking out to use the pokémon centre, but used items on my pokémon instead after I felt guilty for keeping mam waiting. I wonder if this “welcome” is an attempt to distract me from the likelihood that he’s been analysing my battle style the whole time I’ve been here. I also wonder if I’m being too cynical for my own good about a script he probably didn’t put that much thought into.

[“Dwi bob tro’n falch i rhoi siawns i hyfforddwyr enill eu bathodyn cyntaf,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n2) he continues, never letting his eye contact with me drop as he carefully picks out one poké ball and one dusk ball from his belt. [“Rhan o’n swydd i fel arweinydd gampfa ydi i ddysgu hyfforddwyr newydd. Wrth gwrs, mae pawb dy oed di yn meddwl fod nhw’n barod wedi dysgu bob dim sy ‘na i gwybod am pokémon cyn iddyn nhw gadael eu gartrefi. Gadewch i mi herio’r syniad yna!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n3)

Benjy, who has not understood a word of this speech, yells “yeah!” from the benches to the side of the stage. Rhita’s smile twiches momentarily when he hears Benjy’s voice, in a way that makes me suspect that Benjy was quite rude during his time in the gym this morning.

The leader lets loose his poké ball, releasing Nynniaw, an udowel[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/81eef89b341aaba57328480f56d0e7aa/tumblr_inline_o44swqg3dd1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] whose gaseous form wriggles out of its ball and floats in the air between myself and the gym leader, emitting a disquieting whistle that makes my back muscles tense up.

I don’t actually know an awful lot about udowel, the wind-wolf pokémon. Despite having lived practically around the corner from route 418, the mountainous path along which they are most commonly found, I’ve never been able to explore the area, largely because mam doesn’t own any pokémon that know the move Strength. In fact, I’ve long suspected that she’s relented from teaching the move to any of her pokémon precisely to keep me from dragging her up there. It was, after all, much easier to accommodate my childhood exploration in areas where she could actually defend me from the surrounding pokémon.

It’s hardly surprising that the crafty old gym leader would choose an udowel as his lowest-levelled team member. As a dark/ghost type, the wind wolf pokémon is not only immune to common normal-type attacks, it is also only weak against the fairy type. Not many fairy-type moves even exist - even my pure fairy-type Gwendeg[wtp?] hasn’t learned any damage-dealing fairy moves at this stage in my journey. The only shock is that the pokémon league lets him take advantage of this loophole. Still, he’s only allowed to be so cruel against a first-time challenger. My pokédex tells me Nynniaw is level eleven; he shouldn’t be too much of a problem for Emblun[wtp?], who runs confidently forward.

I waste little time starting the battle; [“Emblun, defnyddia Tro Tân!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n4) Emblun obliges, running in circles around his floating opponent and letting out bursts of flame until plumes of it hang in the air around Nynniaw. The creature instinctively writhes in the air as if trying to escape in ten different directions at once, but it’s no use - as my pokédex says, he is “ ** _trapped in the fiery vortex!”_**

Rhita nods, and gives his own first command; [“Nynniaw, defnyddia Hudiad!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n5) Nynniaw straightens itself into the air and lets out a low scream, whipping up a draft that I have to brace myself against. Though it’s hard to tell with a creature whose body isn’t solid, the attack-boosting action appears to make the pokémon taller.

My pokédex estimates that fire spin has taken down a little less than a quarter of the udowel's health, with the flames it left behind continuing to do more damage; if I stick to using ember for a few moves, Nynniaw should only get two hits in before fainting. [“Em! Defnyddia Marwor!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n6) I shout, and Emblun lets out a larger, hotter flame than before, which strikes Nynniaw in the chest.

Rhita responds, [“Bratha fo, Nynniaw!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n7) and the ghostly canine creature rushes forward until his body is passing through Emblun’s. When his teeth come to Emblun’s middle, they become solid and clamp down on his body, causing Emblun to let out a short yelp before his enemy floats back to Rhita Gawr’s side of the stage.

Even with Nynniaw’s attack raised, the bite is more intimidating than it is damaging. Though Emblun is momentarily spooked, he gets to his feet soon enough, and I can see he’d be capable of taking two more hits like that and still have health to spare. I nod as I input his next move into my pokédex, and Emblun understands me well enough to use ember without me saying anything. This time, it hits its target directly on the nose - a critical hit that knocks Nynniaw out.

This is going better than I was expecting. Emblun even goes up a level, meaning that he should evolve upon surviving this battle. He doesn’t really factor into my plan for beating Rhita’s stronger pokémon, though, so I return him to his ball and let out Gwendeg.

Rhita nods, a more sly smile playing on his lips than the mirthful one he wore when I first saw him. [“Da iawn, da iawn. Gadewch i ni weld os fedri di dal hen i fyny. Dos, Peibiaw!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n8) He throws his dusk ball to let out his second pokémon.

Peibiaw turns out to be a level fourteen cadnos[wtp?]. I wasn’t expecting that.

Of course, it’s no great secret that gym leaders have special techniques to train their pokémon to perform at levels below their experience. If they didn’t do this, the pokémon would level up so quickly that they would have to be replaced every other day to avoid accidentally killing opponent’s teams. It’s a precaution that people have to take pretty seriously; a few years ago, an Unovan gym leader by the name of Lenora was sued by a trainer who claimed that her “overpowered” watchog had dislocated their emboar’s tail, and she had been forced to close her gym as a result. 

Even so, it’s tremendously rare for a gym leader to have a pokémon perform a level that’s lower than they’re supposed to evolve at. While I don’t know exactly when cubno usually evolve into cadnos, I’ve known of trainers with un-evolved cubno who are at least level twenty-six; a level fourteen cadnos is unheard of. This man has really put a tremendous amount of effort into making his gym as difficult as it legally can be.

Still, it doesn’t change my plan a great deal; as a fairy type, Gwendeg will resist any dark-type moves, so he should survive long enough to lower the fox pokémon’s defences. Prysbryd may be vulnerable to dark-type moves, but if Gwendeg does his job, she should only need one move to deal the cadnos a mortal blow with her Bug Bite.

[“Peibiaw, hoga dy crafangau!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n9) Rhita shouts, and Peibiaw uses Hone Claws, making a terrible, chalk-on-a-blackboard noise as he scrapes his claws together. His attack and accuracy are raised by this. 

[“Cildrem, Gwendeg!” ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n10)

Gwendeg’s eyes sharpen as he gives Peibiaw a menacing Leer. I assume it successfully lowers his defences, but there’s no time to admire the effect before Rhita shouts out his next attack - [“Crafiadau Gaclwm!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n11)

Peibiaw lunges at Gwendeg so swiftly that I don’t really take in what I’m seeing until he falls back. Then, I see that the cadnos’s Fury Swipes attack has left five terrible scratches across the length of Gwendeg’s body, each one drawing blood. Poor Gwendeg is barely still standing.

Seeing him in this state makes a part of me wish I could heal the pokémon right now, but I stick to the plan. [“G’won, Gwendeg! Cilwenwch ego!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n12) Gwendeg does indeed leer at Peibiaw, with this stare seeming to carry the threat of bloody vengeance.

Well, I’m not risking Gwendeg’s health any longer to let him enact that vengeance. I whip out his poké ball, smile encouragingly at him and switch him out for -

[“Peibiaw! Defnyddia Trywydd!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n13)

Just as Gwendeg begins to shrink to return to his ball, Peibiaw pounces on him and swipes just as he’s at his smallest. There’s just time for me to see his tiny eyes lose consciousness before he returns to his ball, and my pokédex flashes up, “ ** _Gwendeg fainted._** ”

I stare at the space where he was and feel a crushing guilt. None of my real-life pokémon have fainted before.

Gwendeg fainted.

I snap out of it after a second that feels like longer. I can make it up to him later, feed him some poffins until he’s so happy he forgets this battle even happened. First, I have to win this battle for him. I send out Prysbryd[wtp?] and input Bug Bite as her first move, just as I’d planned.

[“Trywydd eto, Peibiaw!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#n14) says Rhita. Peibiaw pounces on Prysbryd and takes a swipe, his paw moving so quickly that a black mark seems to stay in the air after he’s leapt back again.

Prysbryd faints in one hit.

It takes me more than a second to recover this time. The two pokémon who had any real advantage against this high-speed, powered-up cadnos have fainted, and they couldn’t even leave a scratch on him. I’m going to lose. I’m going to white out. Shit, I haven’t whited out in a simulator in ten years.

I will myself to think positively, but only one thought comes to mind that isn’t filled with doom.

_At least I don’t have a beard for him to steal._

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[UDOWEL. ](http://66.media.tumblr.com/81eef89b341aaba57328480f56d0e7aa/tumblr_inline_o44swqg3dd1r7q5l0_500.jpg) _ **

**_The WIND WOLF pokemon._ **

**_Dark/Ghost type._ **

**_Udowel reside in mountainous areas, echoing the sounds of those who speak there. Younger Udowel are unable to echo loud noises, only softer sounds and whispers._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 'Welcome to Wrexham City Gym! I hope you survive the experience!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return1)]  
> 2 ‘I’m always glad to give trainers the chance to win their first badge.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return2)]  
> 3 'Part of my job as a gym leader is to teach new trainers. Of course, everyone your age thinks they already know everything there is to know about pokémon before leaving their homes. Allow me to challenge that notion!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return3)]  
> 4 ‘Emblun, use fire spin!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return4)]  
> 5 ‘Nynniaw, use howl!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return5)]  
> 6 ‘Em! Use ember!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return6)]  
> 7 ‘Bite him, Nynniaw!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return7)]  
> 8 ‘Very good, very good. Let’s see if you can keep that up. Go, Peibiaw!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/15807463#return8)]  
> 9 ‘Peibiaw, whet your claws!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/15807463/chapters/16575967#return9)]  
> 10‘Leer, Gwendeg!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return10)]  
> 11 ‘Fury swipes!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return11)]  
> 12 ‘G’won, Gwendeg! Leer again!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return12)]  
> 13 ‘Peibiaw! Use Pursuit!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return13)]  
> 14 ‘Pursuit again, Peibiaw!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16575967#return14)]  
> 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gym battle number one, continued! All feedback greatly appreciated x

I’ve just about managed to slow my breathing and avoid an anxiety attack when Benjy says “Okay, this weird tense silence doesn’t mean anything in Weruze, does it?”

This snaps me back to reality a little. My instinct is to run to the pokémon centre and keep all of my other pokémon from fainting, but I used to get told when I was younger that pokémon lose respect for, and refuse orders from, trainers who surrender from battle. While I’ve no idea if that’s actually true or not, it’s a rumour I’ve always taken to heart, and if I’m doomed to lose this battle I’m bloody well going down trying. I throw Hetling’s[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/20ad5bfee3e436bde937296bdac9f111/tumblr_inline_o272clRL8f1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] poké ball onto the stage, less for any strategic reason than for the hope that her generally unfazed nature might rub off on me.

Rhita quickly sizes Hetling up and barks [“Crafiadau Gaclwm!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n1) at his pokémon. Again, Peibiaw[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/9a0c0b9c3883b0a799962e90f2954ccc/tumblr_inline_o28gj1PrSS1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] jumps my pokémon with too much speed for me to really see what’s happening. Honestly, this is probably for the best; it’s upsetting enough seeing the effects of his fury swipes attack without watching him inflict the wounds. When the cadnos jumps off her, Hetling has three nasty tears in the leaf covering her chest, each of which leaves her oozing dark green sap.

Now, even if Hetling wasn’t so level-headed, there would still be a pretty compelling reason to have sent her out now. Peibiaw might be strong, but he still has to beat four of my pokémon for Rhita to win the match, and Hetling has one trick up her sleeve that could make that pretty difficult for him.

[“Powdwr Gwenwyn!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n2)

Hetling rocks her body rapidly, so that her head throws the purple, noxious dust she emits from her head high into the air, so that it lands in a wide arc over Peibiaw’s side of the battlefield and coats the ground.

Peibiaw evades every particle of it.

“Bastard!” I shout - that’s another turn gone without having damaged Peibiaw. From the sidelines, mam stands up and yells [“Gwylia dy iaith! Dwi’n _gwybod_ ‘da chi’n gwybod rhegi well na hynnu yn werueg!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n3) I privately wish I didn't have an audience.

Luckily, Hetling has the highest defence of any of my pokémon, and the fury swipes attack only hit her three times; unless Peibiaw gets lucky and hits five times, Hetling should survive to try to poison Peibiaw again. I key the same move into my pokédex.

Rhita smirks. [“Dim yn syniad ddrwg, wna’i ddweud hynnu, ond dim chi ‘di’r unig glaslanc i thrio’i lwc yma efo hetling. Peibiaw! Dannod!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n4)

With this move, the stage goes dark, and the fox pokémon’s features are almost entirely hidden in the shadows. Hetling looks around wildly as an odd, crinkling noise that sounds like leaves being trodden on echoes across the stage. It takes me a few seconds to realise that the noise is Peibiaw mimicking Hetling’s cry to whisper insults known only to pokémon, and throwing his voice so that the noise seems to be coming from Hetling herself.

Back when any pokémon I used existed only as pixels on a screen, I never realised that Taunt is a terribly cruel move to use. According to every description of the move I’ve ever come across, its function is to infuriate the foe into using nothing but damage-dealing moves, but my Hetling is the most calm pokémon I know; if she’s ever experienced anger in her life, she’s far too good at managing it for a few gibes to stop her doing anything. No, this asshole isn’t preying on her rage - he’s preying on her anxiety. The poor creature has been left looking small, withdrawn, and more distressed than it should be possible for any plant to look. I don’t even bother asking her to use poisonpowder again - while I’m sure she could rely on her adrenaline to use most damage-dealing moves as well as ever, expecting her to use any technical status-change moves in this state would be both unrealistic and unkind. 

I prepare to switch her out with Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)], and only realise too late how predictable that reaction is. I close my eyes as I depress the button on her poké ball, knowing exactly what’s going to happen. 

Sure enough, I hear Rhita yell [“Peibiaw, Trywydd!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n5) It’s easier to hear the predatory tone to his voice when I’m not looking at the elderly man it’s coming from. With my eyes still closed, I hear the move collide with an upsetting “thunk” noise. When I open my eyes again, I’m pleasantly surprised to see that Hetling’s still conscious, if only barely.

[“Da iawn, Hetling,” I whisper at her ball. I always thought it looked dumb when people talk to their poké balls like that on TV, but making the poor thing feel valued seems like the only reasonable thing to do here. Emblun cannons forward; I wouldn’t have thought it was possible for him to be less restrained, but watching Peibiaw beat his teammates seems to have done the job.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n6)

Emblun’s barely in the field long enough to draw a breath before Peibiaw hits him with a fury swipes attack. The sound of claws across the lizard pokémon’s scales makes parts of me I never knew existed clench. When the noise stops, Emblun has two sets of ugly white marks running down the scales on his neck, and is missing about an inch of his tail. Without missing a beat, he eats the oran berry I gave him to hold before the battle started, and the tail regenerates rapidly.

My pokémon might outnumber Rhita’s, but with Peibiaw’s impressive speed and raised attack, it’s unlikely that any of my pokémon will get in more than one move each before he takes them out. Not only that, but trying to bring his attack power back down again is a fool’s errand - with his hone claws move, Peibiaw would be able to raise his attack right back up, with improved accuracy to boot. Luckily, Emblun has a solution for the speed that’s a little harder to undo. [“Em, defnyddia Gwyneb Dychrynllyd!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n7)

Now, I’ve got to be honest - I have no idea what it is about Emblun’s Scary Face that makes enemy pokémon slow down. I’m sure mam has told me before about how it triggers some ancient instinct to avoid enraging predators or something, but I’m no biologist. I couldn’t even begin to understand how pokémon know the right way to intimidate their enemies to lower their attack speed instead of scaring them into flinching, or raising their defence, or punching the offender right in the scary face. Still, when Peibiaw jumps back closer to Rhita and hisses cautiously, I don’t particularly feel the need to know why.

That’s slowed Peibiaw down enough that he’s slower than Emblun, but I can’t count on that being enough to give my other pokémon time to do anything. [“Unwaith ego!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n8) I yell, and Emblun repeats the move. 

Emblun never seems to pull the same face twice when he uses scary face. I rarely see the expressions themselves, because I’m standing directly behind him, but even during as tense a battle as this one it makes me feel a little better to see him standing on his hind legs with smoke emerging from his ears. Last night, after I’d been walking for eleven hours, I actually spent a good ten minutes watching him use the move over and over against a pathlewog. It made the strain on my legs seem an awful lot more bearable.

Rhita waves his hand in a get-on-with-it motion as he gives Peibiaw an order of “Trywydd!” - Pursuit again. The cadnos lunges on Emblun, but it’s a clumsy, low blow - one that was expecting Emblun to be shrinking back into his ball, instead of using Scary Face again. It’s a nice sign that Rhita’s tactical mind isn’t infallible.

Not only is Emblun still conscious, but a rumbling sound from his stomach indicates that the attack triggered his Blaze ability, powering up his fire attacks. [“Marwor!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n9) I shout, and Emblun lets out an Ember that’s bigger and brighter than any I’ve seen him produce before, projecting it towards his enemy's side. The flame singes Peibiaw’s whisker before colliding more heavily against his thigh and - yes! Leaves him with a dark patch of still-burning fur!

I hadn’t been optimistic enough to even hope for this. I’ve no need to reattempt to poison Peibiaw now - not only will the inflicted burn damage him over time, it’ll also halve the power of his attacks. This is the best my chances for winning have looked since the battle began.

Unfortunately, that lowered attack isn’t quite enough to mean Emblun will survive this turn, and we all know it. When Rhita shouts “Trywydd” once again, Em loses consciousness as soon as Peibiaw touches him. [“Diolch, Emblun,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n10) I whisper, as I return his limp body to his ball. 

When I send Barkid[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/ac0ad2b8ac409a1c9ddfb13731692db2/tumblr_inline_o2cpe05eNZ1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] into the field, it’s the first time I’ve ever been convinced that she’s entirely awake as soon as she emerges from her ball. In fact, she isn’t even lying down. While she’s not technically leaning on her feet, they are at least touching the ground, since her tail is positioned at just the right angle for her rotund body to be sat upright while still avoiding any real strain. I am more impressed by her alertness than it probably deserves. 

When I order her to use Peck on Peibiaw (“Piga fo!”), she waddles forward at a rate that makes me thank every Legendary I can think of that Emblun had used scary face twice, and uses her tail to propel herself at her opponent beak-first, leaving a mark on his back that draws a little blood. As Barkid shuffles back again, Rhita bellows [“Da chi heb ‘di curo fi eto, bach! Peibiaw, Hoga Crafangau!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n11) Peibiaw follows his master’s command to regain some of the attack power that his burn robbed him of.

[“Piga fo eto, hogan!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n12) I yell. Barkid briefly flashes me a look which, while not exactly contemptful, still seems to chastise me for letting her walk all the way back to her original position on the battlefield before sending her to the same place. Begrudgingly but dutifully, she does indeed repeat the move, but after pushing herself off Peibiaw’s quickly-swelling back, she pointedly stops retreating at around the middle of the battlefield.

Rhita, too, repeats his previous action. Initially, this confuses me. My pokédex says that Peibiaw has less than half his health left. With such limited time, I would have assumed Rhita would be better off using Fury Swipes - at least, if he got in some lucky hits, he might be in with a chance of beating me. Then I remember that the old tactician hasn’t used any healing items yet, and his strategy becomes a little clearer to me. He wants to keep raising Peibiaw’s attack stat before healing him, so that he’ll once again be strong enough to take each of my pokémon down in one hit. That way, he only needs to survive four turns - one for the healing turn, and one for each of my remaining pokémon - and any healing items I might hope to use become useless. 

My first instinct is to order Barkid to use Focus Energy, in the hope of beating Peibiaw with a critical hit before Rhita has a chance to heal him. But to be frank - despite my pokédex insisting it’s a part of her moveset -I’ve yet to see any evidence at all that she can use Focus Energy. The last time I tried getting her to use it, she just yawned a little and half-heartedly flexed her wings; if anything, she seemed less focused on scoring critical hits than she was in the first place. While I know there’s always an element of chance involved in hitting those vulnerable spots, I can’t shake the conviction that Barkid just uses the move as an excuse to take a quick break. In any case, using the move would involve relying on luck far more than I’d be comfortable with. Instead, I shout [“Arthia, Barkid!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n13)

Barkid glances back at me again, this time with an expression that accuses me of having gone entirely insane, before letting out a trill that makes Peibiaw’s claws twitch back into his paws slightly. From the sidelines, mam looks like she’s just as confused by my choice of move as Barkid is; with Peibiaw powering up both his attack and accuracy every turn, using Growl at him must not appear to be useful at all - it will leave Peibiaw just as strong as before, but more accurate, and thus ever-so-slightly more likely to land critical hits. But I have a plan, and it’s a plan that hinges on the fact that Rhita Gawr is very, very clever.

Rhita has been a gym leader for more time than I’ve been alive. In all that time, he’s been right here in Wrexham city, and every summer, Bangor Gym Leader Marged has been busy rowing around the region. This means that any trainers setting off from anywhere between my home and here at this time of year has faced Rhita as their first gym leader - meaning that he’ll have faced pokémon identical to the ones in my party more often than I could count. So if Rhita thinks using Hone Claws a certain number of times will make his plan work, he’s probably right. Just hitting Peibiaw until he has to be healed will do him a lot more favours than it’ll do me - I’ve got to let the burn damage him until he has to be healed, while I focus on counteracting Rhita's plan.

Don’t get me wrong, the fact that Peibiaw knows an attack that can hit anywhere between two and five times complicates things. A lot. I could still get unlucky; I could still get really, really unlucky. But the important thing is, so could he.

For this turn, Rhita gets Peibiaw to use Hone Claws again, but I can see from his slightly furrowed brow that he’s adjusting his battle plan to this new information. Let’s see if I can interrupt his thought process. [“Arthia eto!” ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n14)

As Barkid Growls, she subtly shuffles backwards on the battlefield, as if she’s hoping to undo the mistake of ever leaving her pokéball for the crazy trainer who won’t let her use attacks. With a cry of “Crafiadau Gaclwm!” from Rhita, Peibiaw uses Fury Swipes. With Peibiaw’s attack speed still lowered, the way he uses the move has changed since the beginning of the match - no longer able to slash his claws faster than the eye can see, he has to apply more pressure to do the same amount of damage, to the point where he’s using his paws and claws less like the razors they resemble and more like they're blunt baseball bats. I avert my gaze after the first hit, and when I look back, Barkid’s stomach is bruised so badly I can’t even tell how many times he was hit.

It’s not looking great for Barkid, but if my pokédex’s health estimation is accurate and I’m reading it right, a Peck from Barkid will leave Peibiaw weak enough that his burn would finish him off. This means I’ll bet Rhita will heal Peibiaw this turn - which means I’ll get a free turn to weaken his attack again without fear of him raising it again with Hone Claws. [“Dal ati, Barkid - Arthia un waith eto!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n15)

As soon as I shout it, I know I’ve made a mistake - Rhita makes no move for any kind of item; he’s called my bluff and is attacking anyway. I shout something unintelligible to try and stop Barkid, but it’s far too late - she lets out a hair-raising tweet, and Rhita roars “Crafiadau caclwm!” again.

“Damia!” I shout. (I ignore Benjy whispering “does that mean exactly what it sounds like?” to mam on the sidelines.) Barkid takes two hits and, for a second, it looks like she’ll be able to stick around another turn. Then, a third strike throws her, unconscious, at my feet.

I apologise to Barkid under my breath and vow to buy her the biggest pastry I can find when we leave here; then, I send out Hetling once again.

Neither Hetling nor Peibiaw will be able to withstand another attack, but the last turn taught me I can’t just assume Rhita will use his healing items - he’s too good at reading people for that. I input Razor Leaf as Hetling’s next move.

He does, of course, predict this and use a super potion. The old man must be a hell of a poker player. He applies the spray to Peibiaw’s swollen back and to the parts of his side affected worst by his burn, and when the leaves summoned by Hetling cannon into him, his other wounds have been healed well enough to keep him on his feet.

It’s time for me to follow suit - I feed Hetling the fresh water given to me by the kind caretaker at the front of the gym. This visibly boosts her immune system so that her wounds from her last battle heal from the inside, and when Peibiaw hits her with another Fury Swipes attack, she treats the new wounds with such confidence that they might as well not have been inflicted.

I exchange a look with Rhita across the battlefield. The look, tense and apprehensive, gives a clear message. Neither of us have any more useful items we can use, and we don’t have enough spare turns to mess around with more tactical moves; this battle’s about to get very aggressive.

I shout, [“Defnyddia Raseli Dail, Hetling, a paid a stopio tan mae o’i lawr!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n16)

He shouts, [“Crafiadau Gaclwm, a paid ti a stopio chwaith!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n17)

Hetling goes first with her Razor Leaf attack. The larger leaf that covers her upper body rises to let dozens of smaller leaves shoot out from her chest, burying themselves in Peibiaw’s chest.

Peibiaw’s Fury Swipes attack goes next - he pounces on Hetling and swings his paws at her wildly, hitting her once, twice - and a third, critical time with a strike that bowls my pokémon to the side and bends one of the leaves that make up her body unpleasantly out of shape.

Hetling goes again with another Razor Leaf attack, taking advantage of the close range to strike the cadnos all over his body while it’s harder for him to dodge.

Benjy asks from the side, “What did they say? Why is everyone so quiet? Is this how pretentious I look when I’m in fights?”

Peibiaw’s turn to use Fury Swipes again - hit, hit… and that’s it! I can’t help but smile. That’s all but eliminated Peibiaw’s chances of knocking Hetling out on his next turn.

Hetling’s turn again, and my good luck continues as her Razor Leaf hits critically, directly in the face, knocking him back a few inches and leaving a long cut from Peibiaw’s eyelid across to his nose. With the damage he’s sustained now, his burn would finish him off in another two turns even if my party didn’t touch him again - the battle’s practically won.

But before that it’s Peibiaw’s turn with fury swipes again. Pounce, hit, hit… crit… hit…

…Shit.

Five hits, two of which are critical hits. Hetling didn’t stand a chance - she faints. I want to give her a message of thanks again, but my brain’s too busy swearing to focus.

I send out my last pokémon and my last hope - Woodihw, the sylluan[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/5ccc199f8e3b779568284d0d18432f93/tumblr_inline_o1z6jibHMM1r7q5l0_500.jpg)]. 

Now, there’s no question that the big, bad cadnos will be able to knock out my level seven sylluan in one move. On the other hand, Peibiaw has so little health left that if I entered the field and tapped him on the nose I’d probably knock him out myself. The only question left to be answered now is which is faster; Woody, or an opponent who, while severely decelerated, is also fully evolved and twice his level.

Here goes nothing.

Rhita yells something at the same time as I scream [“Defnyddia Gwthwm, Woodihw,” but both of us are shouting so loudly I don’t think anyone in the room can make out our words. Woody flaps his wings faster and faster as Peibiaw runs towards her; I start to feel the air go colder as a wind is summoned from behind him; Peibiaw hisses as his feet leave the ground -](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n18)

I swear he gets within half an inch of Woody’s face before the Gust takes the airborne pokémon and sends him flying back across the battlefield and lands at Rhita’s feet. For all of a second, he stands shakily and stares at Woody; then, he collapses forward, unable to keep battling. 

Everything goes quiet. Then, mam gets to her feet and lets out a mighty, proud cheer. Rhita withdraws Peibiaw back into his dusk ball and collects my prizes with a smile on his face that looks like he might actually be impressed, and not just keeping up the appearance of a kindly, vulnerable old man. Even Benjy claps his hands together a couple of times.

Everyone’s celebrating but me. I won. But Gwendeg, Prysbryd, Emblun, Barkid and Hetling all lost. I feel stupid, incompetent and emotionally drained. I can’t think of one thing that’ll make me feel like celebrating.

Then, as Rhita hands over the shadow badge and the TM for Hone Claws, he says in hushed tones, [“Da iawn chi am enill y tro cynta.” He gestures subtly towards Benjy. ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n19)[“Wnes di’n lot well na dy ffrind yr Igri.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#n20)

Suddenly, I feel a lot better.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[CADNOS.](http://66.media.tumblr.com/9a0c0b9c3883b0a799962e90f2954ccc/tumblr_inline_o28gj1PrSS1r7q5l0_500.jpg)_ **

**_The RED FOX pokemon._ **

**_Normal/Dark type._ **

**_These pokémon are such efficient hunters and thieves, many farmers across Weruzu feed their livestock sprouts daily, since the smell is the only thing that consistently keeps cadnos at bay._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 'Fury Swipes!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return1)]  
> 2 ‘Poison Powder!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return2)]  
> 3 'Watch your language! I _know_ you know better swears than that in Weruze!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return3)]  
>  4 ‘Not a bad idea, I’ll say that, but you’re not the only youngster to try their luck here with a hetling. Peibiaw! Taunt!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return4)]  
> 5 ‘Peibiaw, Pursuit!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return5)]  
> 6 ‘Well done, Hetling.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return6)]  
> 7 ‘Em, use Scary Face!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return7)]  
> 8 ‘One more time!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return8)]  
> 9 ‘Ember!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/15807463/chapters/16723240#return9)]  
> 10 ‘Thank you, Emblun.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/15807463/chapters/16723240#return10)]  
> 11‘You haven’t beaten me yet, little one! Hone claws, Peibiaw!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return11)]  
> 12 ‘Peck him again, girl!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return12)]  
> 13 ‘Growl, Barkid!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return13)]  
> 14 ‘Growl again!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return14)]  
> 15 ‘Keep at it, Barkid - Growl one more time!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return15)]  
> 16 ‘Use Razor Leaf, Hetling, and don’t stop until he’s down!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return16)]  
> 17 ‘Fury Swipes, and don’t you stop either!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return17)]  
> 18 ‘Use Gust, Woodihw.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return18)]  
> 19 ‘Well done you for winning first time.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return19)]  
> 20 ‘You did a lot better than your friend the Igri (a usually derogatory Weruze term for someone from Igrisu.)’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16723240#return20)]


	10. Chapter 10

“I can’t believe you actually thought poké marts were open 24 hours a day.”

“Be nice, Benjy,” says mam. I can tell she’s annoyed, but I can’t tell if it’s at Benjy or at me.

The most frustrating thing about this is that I went to school just a couple of streets away from a poké mart. I walked past it every other lunchtime when I snuck out to buy sweets and trading cards. It would have been _so easy_ for me to fact-check this; I just never paid any attention to the opening times notice hanging outside the door, or needed to buy any sweets from there in the late evening.

In fact, most people don’t need anything from the poké mart in the late evening, either; it turns out that’s why we’re staring at a purple neon “WE’RE CLOSED” sign outside the Wrexham City poké mart at a quarter to eleven. But they’re open 24 hours a day in the simulation games! I never even _questioned_ it!

“Why didn’t you say something before we got here, if it’s so obvious?” I mutter, annoyed.

“You just said you needed to get more potions with such confidence, I figured you knew something I didn’t!” Benjy defends himself. “For all I know, Wrexham City might have some big, night time potion treasure hunt that happens as soon as the poké marts close. Because, you know, _obviously_ poké marts close. Did you think that cashiers just stand about all day and night with no breaks? Or did you think they hired someone especially to come in for the night shift - you know, for all those times someone rushes in with an emergency midnight poké ball shortage?”

“Benjy, I might not have been clear,” says mam. “When I said be nice, I meant don’t be an ass.” It’s nice to have a peacekeeper around sometimes.

Watching Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)] climb the walls of the poké mart in an adorable but futile attempt to lick the neon sign, I remind myself that things could be an awful lot worse. It’s not like the time I spent not visiting the poké mart during the day was wasted - I’ve had a really good birthday.

For one thing, there’s the Shadow Badge newly pinned to the back of my trainer card. The badge is, in my opinion, a perfect representation of the gym it came from - a flat piece of coal from the closed-off mine just outside the city, carefully crafted into the shape of a cloaked human silhouette with open arms and unreadable face. Covered by a thin piece of film that exists primarily to stop one’s fingers from being covered in black smudges whenever they handle it, I don’t have to worry about the coal getting misshaped by erosion. The only thing stopping me from proudly displaying it on my lapel is the certain knowledge that it would encourage Benjy to wear all seventeen of his own gym badges.

Then, there’s the fact that none of my pokémon hated me for getting them knocked out. Technically, I knew this would be the case, but it was a difficult thing to remember while I was waiting for them to recover in the pokémon center waiting room. But, after three hours of waiting - because, as the barely-polite receptionist explained to me, a service that can nurse five unconscious creatures back to full health can’t be free, safe and quick all at the same time - it was clear that none of my pokémon held grudges as soon as I entered the centre’s recovery room. Gwendeg[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/422ba53e3414892a5604f0ab43103bde/tumblr_inline_o2x184I2f11r7q5l0_540.jpg)] was much less unhappy with me than he was with the many doctors and nurses who kept shooing him away from the other patients; Hetling[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/20ad5bfee3e436bde937296bdac9f111/tumblr_inline_o272clRL8f1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] and Prysbryd[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/465f424c7777bb077d1cf50e92e034f2/tumblr_inline_o4fuk8XH3g1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] just seemed happy to see each other again, with Prysbryd resting curled around Hetling’s neck when I came in; and Barkid[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/ac0ad2b8ac409a1c9ddfb13731692db2/tumblr_inline_o2cpe05eNZ1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] seemed exactly as ambivalent towards me as she ever was before. Of course, Woodihw[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/5ccc199f8e3b779568284d0d18432f93/tumblr_inline_o1z6jibHMM1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] had never been touched by Rhita’s pokémon, but he was still happily sat up in a little pile of twigs a nurse had put together for him, occasionally dipping his tiny beak into a glass of water resting on the nestside table.

The member of my party I’d been most worried about was Emblun - I had a horrible feeling that he’d be upset that his evolution had been interrupted by fainting - but when he saw me, he bounded up to me with so much energy, it was hard to believe he’d ever been anything but wide-awake and full of joy. As soon as he started rubbing his tiny head against my ankle, I finally felt like I was really able to celebrate my victory at the gym properly.

Celebration, as it turned out, came in the form of a shopping trip paid for by mam. I strongly suspect that this trip was born of a final attempt from mam to convince me to have at least a little diversity in what I wear. I’ve always liked the tradition of a trainer picking one outfit to represent them for the whole journey. Not only does it allow trainers who identify with any of the popular “trainer types” to identify themselves, making obnoxious Ace Trainers a little easier to avoid conversations with, but it also lets those of us who wish to stand out a little more memorable, which makes it easier for trainers who want to become champions or gym leaders to build up reputations. It also gives a certain sense of cohesiveness to one’s journey - something to look back on when it’s over and remember fondly, or alternatively, wonder what on earth you were thinking. Besides, over the weeks leading up to my journey, deciding what outfit best represented me had its own peculiar appeal to me, as someone who spent an awfully large portion of my life struggling to label myself; the opportunity to show the world an image that represented me best seemed like the best way I could think of to show off years of hard self-reflection.

Of course, actually wearing the exact same clothes over the course of my journey would be outrageously unhygienic. As such I carry with me at all times four identical versions of my outfit - a long, hooded, purple and pink plaid shirt which hides some of the contours of my body I’m least comfortable with and accentuates those I prefer, worn over skinny blue jeans and some running shoes that have been converted into comfortable black ankle boots. (Mam insists on calling these “cowboy shoes”.)

After a fun hour or so of trying on nice clothes, some of which even suited me a little, mam finally seemed to accept that I wasn’t going to be tempted to consider a second outfit. She did, however, insist on a practical adjustment; a small bundle shaped to look like a pokéball which attaches to my belt and, with a press of the button at its midpoint, unfolds into a full-length black raincoat. I also convinced her to buy me an enormous lime-green bobble hat, which looks ridiculous, and which I intend to only ever wear when I call her on the Holo Caster to see if I can convince her I wear it all the time. She embarrasses me at every opportunity she gets; it’s only fair for me to return the favour.

Benjy, thanks mostly to his time in oh-so-fashionable Kalos, is much less enamoured to the tradition of one-outfit-per-journey. The only article of clothing he’s wearing that he was still wearing yesterday is a black leather jacket which I’m certain he also wore throughout his last two journeys as well; a part of me is looking forward to the inevitable day he gets stuck in a downpour and the whole thing shrinks on him. He hung around with us while we were shopping and bought an off-white shirt and a pair of black jeggings. In doing so, he got me the best birthday present I could have asked of him; the assurance that he wasn’t getting ahead of me in my journey while I was taking my shopping break.

Then, after a very nice dinner that was all the nicer for knowing mam was paying for it, we came here, and it’s starting to become clear our day together is coming to a close.

“I’ve got work in the morning,” mam explains. She’s speaking Sinnohese so that Benjy can understand, too; she claims she’s been trying to remember to do this all day. “It’s been lovely to see you, but I’m going to be riding in the dark longer than I’d like as it is.”

“I’d best be off, too,” Benjy says. “The city’s nice and all, but I sleep better on the move.” Why does that sound cool? I’d just sound like a dreadful hipster if I said something like that. Bastard.

He goes up to mam and they share a brief hug. “See you, aunt Ellie. [Nows dai,](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n1) yeah?” Then, he steps up to me. I prepare myself for his parting barbs.

“Hey,” he says. After a weirdly quiet couple of seconds, he opens his mouth and closes it again, then says, “D’you think we challenged the gym too early?”

I blink. I’d been expecting him to say something about the gym battle - probably the kind of impolite comments you’d expect to hear from Gary Oak in that dreadful 90s sports animé - but not this. Maybe I misheard the word ‘we’. “What do you mean?”

He shrugs mareepishly[[wtp?](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Mareep_\(Pok%C3%A9mon\))]. “I dunno. I don’t exactly have the best frame of reference for what a normal pokémon quest’s supposed to look like - I started my last two journeys with a team full of custom-bred little guys I got from the internet. It’s not as easy as the simulations, y’know? D’you think we’re asking too much of our pokémon too soon?”

I scratch my hair as I consider the question. I have, in fact, been feeling pretty uncomfortable about the thought that less of my pokémon would have fainted if I’d come back in a couple of days time. But those aren’t the kinds of sentiments I’d expected to hear echoed by my cousin, the guy who just sees his pokémon as excuses to quote Bowie lyrics. “Are you just saying this to try and get me to go slower, so you can beat me to being Champion?”

After a second of trying, he gives up trying to look sincere, bursts into laughter, and his face reverts back to its natural cocky grin. “Aw, cuz, you know me too well. Oh well, guess I’ll just have to beat you with my own superior skills instead. Well, that and this bag full of potions that I bought at a reasonable time of day. Laters!”

And with that, he dashes off. I guess that showed me for nearly believing my cousin might have some depth. Still, even if I know he was just trying to mess with my head… well, I’d been messing with my own head plenty enough already. I doubt I’ll be facing the second gym until I’ve been training for a good solid week; if Benjy’s faster than that, so be it - I’ll just have to hope his impatience comes back to bite him sooner or later. Besides, while beating Benjy to becoming champion is a fine goal, completing my journey without giving myself an anxiety attack is a better one.

With Benjy gone, it’s just mam and myself standing outside the pokémart; Emblun has crawled around the building’s walls to the other side to us. I can only hope I’ll see him again in a couple of minutes. Mam and I pull each other into a tight embrace. It’s hard to believe it was only yesterday that we last said goodbye; I haven’t had days quite as eventful as these last two in a very long time.

[“Penblwydd hapus,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n2) Mam tells me again, muffled, into my ear. [“Dwi mor falch i gael chi fel plentyn. Ti’n gwybod hynnu, yn dwyt?”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n3)

“[Yndw tad,](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n4)” I reply. “[A dwi’n falch ges i dy weld ti heddiw.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n5)” This parting feels a lot more real than yesterday’s did. I try not to let myself get too emotional with this goodbye - I’d feel terribly embarrassed, going back to the pokémon center with a puffed up face.

“[A dwi’n gobeithio bydda chi’n ofalus, allan ‘ma. Ond cofia mod i’n byw yn ddirprwyol trwyddo chi, fellu paid a bod yn rhy ofalus.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n6)

“Hah.” Still clutching my arms around mam’s neck, I can’t help but notice a patch of orange-brown fur rustling in the flower patch behind her. I’m certain it belongs to a cubno[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/aa0a7d8f52f76bf3204f39ed0cdcf642/tumblr_inline_o28gehkeRJ1r7q5l0_540.jpg)].

“[A paid ti anghofio galw fi pob diwrnod. Neu o leia yrru tecst. Paid a gadael i mi poeni gormod.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n7)

“[Wna’i ddim.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n8)” The flower patch is really moving now. It’s definitely a cubno; an adorable and comically large oval face atop a shorter oval body, it looks just like a squashed up, cuter version of the beast I had so much trouble with in the gym today. 

“[A tria bwyta’n iach. Dwi’n gwybod fod o’n anodd pan ‘da chi’n teithio, ond dwi’m eisio weld chi’n wastio’i ffwrdd.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n9)

“Uh-huh.” Emblun’s just reappeared from behind the poké mart, and is edging towards the baby fox pokémon curiously. Would it be rude to wrap this hug up just to catch a pokémon? This hug has been going on a very long time. It’s not like I want it to end, but I really don’t want that cubno getting away.

“[A wnei di o leia ystyrio cael gwared o’r het erchyll ‘ma?”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n10)

“[Wrth gwrs.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n11)

“Aha!” Mam pulls away from the hug just as I realise I’ve just accidentally said yes to something I’d never agree to. Oops. She points her finger directly at my face with a playful look in her eye. “[Dwi’n nabod y lais ti'n siarad yn pan da chi'n smalio fod chi'n gwrando yn gwrando. Go on, ta, dal be bynnag sy’ tu ol i mi. Ond os ‘di o ddim yn _uffernol_ o ciwt, bydda fi’n pwdu am oesodd.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n12)

I smile. “[Caru chi, mam,](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#n13)” I say, and signal to Emblun to engage with the cubno. Mam laughs her heartiest laugh and lets her Merlech[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/b859ef9da3e1ceae44dcb40f28d58e6a/tumblr_inline_o1z6sbOrY01r7q5l0_500.jpg)] out of his ball, before jumping on his back. As I carefully try to lower the cubno’s health without knocking it out, I can still hear her laughing and waving at me as they canter back home, following the sunset west.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_CUBNO.  _ **

**_The FOX CUB pokemon._ **

**_Normal type._ **

**_Though the rest of their bodies grow larger throughout their lives, their heads remain a constant size, even when they evolve._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 He’s trying to say “nôs da,” which is Weruze for “goodnight”, but he’s actually saying the Sinnohese words “nose die”. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return1)]  
> 2 ‘Happy Birthday.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return2)]  
> 3 'I’m so proud to have you as a child. You know that, don’t you?' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return3)]  
> 4 ‘I do indeed.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return4)]  
> 5 ‘And I’m glad I got to see you today.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return5)]  
> 6 ‘And be safe out there. But remember I’m living vicariously through you, so don’t be too safe.' ‘Ddirprwyol’ isn’t a very commonly used word. I had to look it up after mam left. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return6)]  
> 7 ‘And don’t you forget to call me every day. Or at least send a text. Don’t let me worry too much.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return7)]  
> 8 ‘I won't.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return8)]  
> 9 ‘And try to eat healthily. I know it’s hard when you’re travelling, but I don’t want to see you wasting away.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/15807463/chapters/16903828#return9)]  
> 10‘And will you at least consider getting rid of this horrible hat?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return10)]  
> 11 ‘Of course.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return11)]  
> 12 ‘I recognise the voice you speak in when you're pretending that you're listening. Go on, then, catch whatever’s behind me. But if it’s not _extremely_ cute, I’ll be sulking for ages.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return12)]  
>  13 ‘Love you, mam.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/16903828#return13)]  
> 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I don't have time to do the who's-that-pokemons today - my partner's having a tough time in hospital. Will update when I have the time.  
> This is one of my favourite chapters I've written so far - enjoy!

There’s a faint, persistent tugging at the end of my jeans, and I’m trying really, really hard to ignore it.

I’m sitting at the Pokémon center computer getting ready to make a quick adjustment to my party. Since I’m not thrilled by the idea of making any long journeys without any healing items in my bag, my plan for the evening is to stick to the grassy areas within half a mile of the pokémon center, so that I can train a little before bed without getting my pokémon in any real danger. This seems like a pretty good opportunity to give Prysbryd[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/5ccc199f8e3b779568284d0d18432f93/tumblr_inline_o1z6jibHMM1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] a little break from battling and introduce Cubno[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/5ccc199f8e3b779568284d0d18432f93/tumblr_inline_o1z6jibHMM1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] onto the team.

While I’m getting the computer ready, most of the rest of my party are enjoying their time out of their balls. Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)] is zooming across the floor and up the walls in an enormous zigzag, as if he’s performing in an invisible obstacle course. Gwendeg[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/422ba53e3414892a5604f0ab43103bde/tumblr_inline_o2x184I2f11r7q5l0_540.jpg)] is going up to every guest in the pokémon center and rubbing his entire body against their legs until he gets asked to stop. Barkid[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/ac0ad2b8ac409a1c9ddfb13731692db2/tumblr_inline_o2cpe05eNZ1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] is lying on her stomach in a position that can’t possibly be as comfortable as she’s making it out to be - face flat against the reception desk, tail pointing directly upwards into the air. Woodihw[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/5ccc199f8e3b779568284d0d18432f93/tumblr_inline_o1z6jibHMM1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] is periodically switching between flying a short distance behind Emblun’s frantic zigzag and tugging at Barkid’s wings with his beak, trying far to hard to get either of them to show him any attention at all.

And Hetling[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/20ad5bfee3e436bde937296bdac9f111/tumblr_inline_o272clRL8f1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] -

Tug, tug -

Is right by my feet, pulling at the hem of my jeans with increasing intensity, wondering why her friend Prysbryd is still in her poké ball. It’s getting harder and harder to stop myself from looking down, but I will not be manipulated by a plant.

Prysbryd is the obvious pokémon to deposit into the PC for a little while. Since Woodihw got an outrageous amount of experience points from being the only pokémon left standing against Rhita, Prysbryd has gone back to being the weakest member of my party, and I do not use the word “weakest” lightly. At the moment, Prysbryd’s defence is just too low for her to be at all useful in battle. Saying it feels mean, but it’s the truth! The main reason I ever caught her was to try and use her against Rhita, and she didn’t stay conscious long enough to use a single move! It’s not like the area is teeming with psychic type pokémon for her to creep out, and the only other type her moves are strong against who she isn’t also weak against is the grass type. You know who else is strong against grass type pokémon? More than half of my team!

Tug, tug.

That’s not to mention the social drawbacks to having Prysbryd on my team. I knew a lot of people were afraid of bug- and ghost-types, but you really don’t know how true that is until you walk down a city street with a Prysbryd by your side. The restaurant we went to earlier literally refused to let us come in until I switched her out for a pokémon with eyes. And they haven’t even seen her eat an entire weedle whole.

Tug, tug.

I drew up a pro-con list in my head for all my pokémon, just like I used to when I was playing the simulation games. Emblun’s not going anywhere, obviously; as the strongest pokémon on my team already, I couldn’t justify saying goodbye to him on the verge of evolution even if I wanted to. Barkid has to stay, too; she’s only three levels away from evolving, and frankly, I’m masochistically fascinated to see whether she’ll be any easier to work with when she evolves. While Gwendeg doesn't know any particularly useful moves at the moment, he’s the most balanced pokémon I have when it comes to attack, defence, special-defence and speed; as soon as he learns a fairy-type move, he’ll be a tremendously useful part of the team. Woodihw and Hetling will both be vital when I go up against the water-type gym that’s coming up next, and besides, if I tried to box Hetling then I’d only be trading one persistent jean-tugger for another, and Prysbryd has very sharp teeth.

Tug, tug.

I make the mistake of looking down towards Hetling. I swear, you have never seen a flower look so upset in your entire life. Her mouth is so cartoonishly downcast that it actually forms the letter n on her face. Greenish-white fluid is pooling in the corners of her eyes. She’s emitting a faint sniffing noise that honestly seems like it shouldn’t be possible for her to make, given that she doesn’t have a nose.

I can’t deny that it’s rather sweet.

And… possibly a little sapphic? 

I mean, it’s hard to say for certain. Cool-headed Hetling and mild-mannered Prysbryd are hardly the most impulsive pokémon in my party - if there’s anything more than friendship between them, it could take them weeks to act on it. Plus, who knows how prevalent queer pokémon even are? Research into homosexuality in pokémon species, when it’s conducted at all, is incredibly poorly funded. And to be fair, egg group are already confusing as hell without bringing gender into the mix. When Florges, the garden pokémon, can breed with Carbink but can’t breed with Venusaur, I can kind of understand why a lot of straight people would be too eager to work out how that works to get distracted by how many Nidoking get off with other Nidoking. Still, when the closest thing you can find to research into LGBTQ pokémon is statistics on how often the move “attract” fails, it’s hard to say anything for sure.

Come to think of it, I wonder if Hetling and Prysbyd are even in the same egg group. I don’t suppose it matters all that much; I know quite a few gay human couples who can’t have kids either.

Tug -

The most recent tug is interrupted by one loud crash a short distance away, followed by a succession of fainter thuds. I look up and grimace. From what I can tell, in trying to sniff his feet, Gwendeg has just tripped up a pokémon center nurse who was carrying a large stack of neatly folded sheets - sheets which are now much less neatly folded and much more reminiscent of a blanket fort in an earthquake. I catch the nurse’s gaze and give him an apologetic look; he shoots back a look that really regrets letting me keep my pokémon out of their balls.

I have to admit, nobody would be pulling my jeans off for putting Gwendeg in the box.

(…Man, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d think.)

I love Gwendeg, but even the members of my party who initially seemed to get on with him have since made it clear that his immature charm has worn paper-thin. Hetling gets on with nearly everyone and everything, but she’s been giving Gwendeg heavy stink-eye ever since he got so spooked by running through Prysbryd. On the other end of the spectrum, Barkid acts like she’s pissed off by everyone, but Gwendeg’s the only pokémon she’s ever actually pushed off a chair. And honestly, the amount that he goes out of his way to smell strangers, a little time in the computer could be the only thing that’ll teach him a lesson about consent.

Oh, Arceus damn it, I’m actually doing this. I swear, my mam didn’t raise me to be this much of a pushover. I don’t know what went wrong.

I sigh, let Prysbryd out of her poké ball, and return Gwendeg to his, placing that ball onto the teleport pad at the side of the computer. “Hapys rwan?” I ask, looking down at Hetling. 

Hetling and Prysbryd both look back up to me and make enthusiastic noises, as if to say yes, they certainly are both happy now. I shake my head at my own compliance and type a command into the computer. With a flash of light, the poké ball disappears, and Gwendeg will find himself in the same enormous virtual world that I sent my nerve-ridden Pathlewog to last night, filled with hundreds of virtual trees between which Pathlewog can hide from him.

A few seconds later, his poké ball is replaced with Cubno’s. I let her out to join the rest of my party. After a few seconds, in which she shakes her head and twitches her whiskers, Woodihw lands next to her and nudges her with his head. They look at each other and go running, Woody having found someone willing to race with him.

A smile creeps onto my face. These exhausting little creatures will be the death of me, but at least they’re happy.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_HETLING.  _ **

**_The FOX GLOVE pokemon._ **

**_Grass/Poison type._ **

**_When Hetling are mistreated by their trainers, the pokémon will punish them by secretly shooting chemicals into their mouths to make their food taste terrible._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 'Happy now?' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17071021#return1)]


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very, very sorry this came so late. My partner's out of hospital now - still getting back into our old routine. Hope you like this late entry!

I…

I mean…

I honestly thought the portrayal of Pokémaniacs being dressed in cosplay all the time was an exaggeration.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy GymCon as much as the next person. Last August I had great fun going along to the convention held in Wrexham City in a cardboard Staryu costume I’d put together myself. But the thing about GymCon is that it’s an experience; when I think of that Staryu costume, I think of the time that I won a signed copy of Youngster Joey’s memoir in a raffle, and how I stood in a queue for an hour before deciding I didn’t want to get Brycen’s autograph that much. If you just spend all your time dressed as a pokémon, surely there comes a point where it stops being fun? And just imagine trying to explain it to your family. (Damn it, I should have thought of that for April fool’s day.)

This particular pokémaniac, Marc, is dressed head-to-toe as a ffwlbrat[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/3643e76793c45d22e305b410d4188f0a/tumblr_inline_o2x18lDSwR1r7q5l0_540.jpg)]. His brown onesie has been sown together by loving but unsteady hand, out of what appears to be two fleece jumpers and a pair of tracksuit bottoms. It doesn’t actually seem to come with any method of removal; I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me he’d been wearing it for a straight week. One of the two plastic horns that he’s stuck into his mullet with hairpins has twisted around so they point pathetically at right angles to each other. His face-paint is unevenly applied, and hard not to interpret as racist. The costume’s legs are only separated from the knees down, which, I’m sure, was a deliberate design choice to mimic the polecat pokémon’s short legs, but it makes his walk look tremendously uncomfortable. Combined with the colour of the costume, it leaves the uncomfortable impression that he’s had to use the outfit as a personal latrine. 

It’s broad daylight. There are children on this route. Just facing him in battle is making me turn red with embarrassment. Luckily, he only has one pokémon, so this shouldn’t take too long.

[“Wneith y berthynas rhwng fi a fy mhokémon gadael chi’n wan!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n1) he shouts, sending out his twtael[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/80bee24470e5626038ab7ae5ad07e44f/tumblr_inline_o7fj0zx2yA1r7q5l0_250.jpg)]. Behind him, I see a young woman shoot us both a dirty look and walk away from us a little faster.

Cubno[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/aa0a7d8f52f76bf3204f39ed0cdcf642/tumblr_inline_o28gehkeRJ1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] rushes forward to face him. The oval-headed pokémon yelps at the twtael with an enthusiastic confidence which won’t affect the match in the slightest, because I have no intention of keeping her out of her ball. Don’t get me wrong - although the level fourteen twtael is a little more experienced, I’m sure Cubno could soon beat the dark-type pokémon with her Hone Claws and Rock Smash moves. But it would take a few turns, and I’d really like to get away from this man as quickly as possible.

[“Cubno, tyd ‘nol!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n2) I shout, watching Cubno’s face become very slightly disappointed before disappearing in a flash of light. [“Dos, Emblun](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n3)[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)][!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n3)

[“Twtael, defnyddia Chwiliwr Arogl!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n4) cries pokémaniac Marc. The little badger pokémon presses his nose to the ground, rushes up to Emblun and gives a little nod before rushing back to his starting position. Given that Odor Sleuth has no effect on Emblun and would have had just as little effect on Cubno, I can’t say I understand why he’s used this. It’s possible he just doesn’t know what the move does.

The awkwardly-dressed man does a double-take, as if only just seeing the pokémon in front of him. “Emblun?” he exclaims, confused. [“Dyle fo ddim fod yn Ensiglo](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n5)[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/3918182b8c4ef964385ed3454ce7937c/tumblr_inline_o2nku0VKzG1r7q5l0_500.jpg)][ erbyn hyn?”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n5)

 _Oh, sod off_ , I reply, inwardly. Aloud, I cry, [“Defnyddia Marwor, Em!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n6) and Emblun lets out a flame that leaves the twtael pained and rolling on the ground.

Marc, who had been so distracted by Emblun that he’d forgotten to pick out his next move, stutters a little before shouting [“Uh, defnyddia Brathu, Twtael!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n7) The twtael runs up and sinks its teeth around Emblun’s nose, an attack which barely leaves a mark on Emblun. He then skitters back with his nose downturned, looking almost as embarrassed as I’m feeling right now.

With another shout of [“Marwor,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n8) Emblun knocks the twtael out with another ember. I take the pokémaniac’s prize money and set off back on my way, ignoring his senseless wail of [“O! Fy mherthynas i oedd yn wan!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n9) His comment about Emblun stays with me, though.

Consciously, I know I have nothing to worry about. When evolutions are interrupted, the common suggestion is to let the pokémon gain another level’s worth of experience, so that they can once again build up the energy necessary to perform the complicated biological process of changing their body. Since I’ve been concentrating on training Cubno and Woodihw the sylluan[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/5ccc199f8e3b779568284d0d18432f93/tumblr_inline_o1z6jibHMM1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] while we’ve been traveling on route 413, Emblun hasn’t levelled up in the twenty-odd hours since we beat Rhita Gawr. There’s no reason to suspect anything is amiss.

But you hear stories.

Stories about pokémon who mistime their second attempt at evolution, whether due to caution or over-excitement, and end up misshapen or disloyal. Tales of a dragonair that took so long to reach their middle evolution that they could never evolve into a dragonite. Hushed campfire whispers of a voltorb that should have been an electrode using self-destruct and never appearing again.

I’m not saying I believe all those stories - in fact, I’ve read a lot of convincing conspiracy theories saying that they’ve all been made up by the Everstone company, so they can sell their product as “the only SAFE way to delay evolution.” But at the same time… Well, I just really hope Emblun evolves on time.

My train of thought is interrupted by the deep breaths of a man running towards me and waving his arms. Sporting a long, blond beard and a pair of blue dungarees, he looks like he never grew out of that fad that some pokémon breeders went through a few years ago of calling themselves ‘ranchers’ and talking with bits of hay in their mouths.

He also looks really scared.

He stops in front of me and looks up at me, wide-eyed. [“Tîm… tîm…”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n10) the rancher pauses to catch his breath, then continues, [“Tîm Knot! Mae nhw’n ymosod Fferm Welshpool! Mae’n rhaid i chi helpu ni!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n11)

I blink at him in response. I’ve heard of Team Knot before, but only very recently, and on the kinds of messaging boards that I try my best to avoid when browsing the internet. A group of anonymous, petty people intolerant of anyone different to them, they’ve barely ever left much of an impression on me; it’s hard to imagine them causing any more damage than hurting some strangers’ feelings.

But from what I’ve been able to gather from the Town Map app on my Poképad, Welshpool Farm is still a couple of miles away, and this man sprinted all this way to find someone to help him. That sounds pretty serious. [“Wrth gwrs,” I reply, as if I hadn’t already been heading in that direction. I’m glad that I still have Emblun out of his ball from the end of the last battle; if there’s one of my pokémon that encourages me to run quickly, it’s this little bundle of energy.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n12)

The ranger looks tremendously relieved. [“O, diolch, diolch! Gad i mi dangos y ffordd i chi. ‘Da ni ddim efo llawer o amser!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#n13)

I open my mouth to ask if it might not be a better use of his time to continue on the path and recruit more trainers to fight with us. Then, I look back at Pokémaniac Marc, hopping up and down and trying to wipe something unsanitary off his fluffy brown slippers, and remember that I’ve already knocked out all the pokémon owned by any trainers behind me on the route. Whoops.

I shut my mouth and set off jogging south behind the rancher. I guess I’ll just have to hope I’ll be strong enough for these guys.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_FFWLBRAT.  _ **

**_The POLECAT pokemon._ **

**_Fairy type._ **

**_Ffwlbrat use the horns on top of their heads to carve messages to themselves in trees. The horns often get stuck when they do this._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 ‘The connection/relationship between me and my pokémon will leave you weak!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return1)]  
> 2 ‘Cubno, come back!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return2)]  
> 3 'Go, Emblun!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return3)]  
> 4 ‘Twtael, use Odour Sleuth!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return4)]  
> 5 ‘Shouldn't he be an Ensiglo by now?’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return5)]  
> 6 ‘Use Ember, Em!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return6)]  
> 7 ‘Uh, use Bite, Twtael!’ Given that he’s trying to use ‘Bite’ as a noun here, he should have used ‘brathiad’, but we all get the odd thing wrong when we’re stressed. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return7)]  
> 8 ‘Ember.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return8)]  
> 9 ‘Oh! It was my connection/relationship that was weak!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/15807463/chapters/17214691#return9)]  
> 10 'Team… Team…’ (They sound identical, but since he’s speaking Weruze, I have to spell it ‘tîm’ or it would be pronounced ‘teh-am.’ Bloody languages, am I right?) [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return10)]  
> 11 ‘Team Knot! They’re attacking Welshpool Farm! You have to help us!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return11)]  
> 12 'Of course.’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return12)]  
> 13 ‘Oh, thank you, thank you! Let me show you the way. We don’t have much time!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17214691#return13)]  
> 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again. Sorry!

“We are Team Knot!” shouts the taller of the two Team Knot Grunts in front of me, with all the loud enunciation and unjustified confidence of an advert for Aldi-brand poké balls. “Do not be afraid - your liberation will be painless! Our aim is simple - to connect this region with the world it has been detached from for far too long, and sever its ties to a more archaic time. Intertwining the Weruze nation with the ideals of civilisation! Go, Team Knot!” At this, the two Grunts raise their arms and their right legs into the air at an angle so that the outline of their brown-and-gold outfits form the letter “K”. They look less like organised criminals than they do amateur cheerleaders.

When I’m quite sure they’re finished, I say, “Yeah, I know all that. You’re basically just quoting your Facebook page’s bio. What I asked was, why are you attacking here?”

Tall Grunt lowers her arm and leg, a twitch briefly coming to her used-bike-seller smile. “What do you mean?” she asks, Short Grunt still balancing on one leg next to her.

“Well, your mission statement is to break down barriers between Weruzu and the rest of the world, yeah? That’s, supposedly, why you send death threats to anyone who talks about Weruze culture on the internet. So why attack Welshpool Farm? They already sell their Moomoo Milk and Mareep Wool all over the world. Hell, pokémon from this farm get sold to other farms all over Igrisu. What is there to get so aggressive about?”

“Ha!” says Tall Grunt, a carefully rehearsed bark that has exactly nothing in common with laughter. I must have said something that’s let her go back on-script. “This place may claim integration with the wider world, but its literature betrays its unnecessary bond to an outdated community. Why should labels and leaflets for the farm be written in both Weruze and Sinnohese when everyone speaks Sinnohese? The venture could be so much more efficient if it were only to stop wasting its energy on this bilingualism! We merely offer the farm a passionate piece of business advice. By referring to it as an ‘attack,’ it is you who is being aggressive.”

“Yeah, and it was the most vulnerable place that was near a border,” adds Short Grunt, finally putting his right foot down. Tall Grunt elbows him in the stomach. It looks like it’s by design that she’s been doing all the talking.

Short Grunt’s answer certainly makes more sense than anything his lanky counterpart has said so far. The implication that advertising the farm bilingually is somehow hurting the farm’s productivity is all the more offensive for how tremendously inaccurate it is. It’s common knowledge that Welshpool Farm makes a huge chunk of its money specifically from being seen as “The Weruze Farm.” It’s not like it’s the only farm in Weruzu - Gefannuos[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/02521a5ec5a83688711a7e1144253c7c/tumblr_inline_o52by0rtKB1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] knows, there are enough mareep across the country to fill a thousand ranches to capacity - but it’s easily the most commercially savvy. Thanks to a few well placed pamphlets in the right pokémon centers, tourists from hundreds of miles away flock to see the beautiful place that makes the little bottles with “[llefrith](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n1)” written on the side. Families will pay to help feed locally sourced treats to Miltank, eat [bara brith](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n2) as they watch Mareep get sheared, and take pictures of the native pokémon that wander the surrounding meadows. If the farm stopped speaking Weruze and started acting like every other farm, it would do nothing short of halving its marketing appeal. If Team Knot really think otherwise, they’re kidding themselves.

And as for ‘It is you who is being aggressive’… What a joke. Tall Grunt might talk like she’s put her entire speech through a thesaurus before coming out, but that doesn’t make “I know you are, but what am I” a sophisticated defence. Since I confronted these henchpeople outside the stone wall of the inner farmhouse area, I haven’t seen what exactly they’ve been doing here yet, but whatever it is, this ‘passionate piece of business advice’ has left ranchers and tourists alike cowering for their lives. It’s fair to say they’re doing both passion and business seriously badly.

“We’ll see about vulnerable,” I shout. [“Emblun, tyd ‘mlaen! Dos, Cubno!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n3) Emblun[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/d3ee5e4813824b9ad27de4f3388fe8f6/tumblr_inline_o2nktkRsY81r7q5l0_400.jpg)] rushes forward, to be joined by Cubno[[wtp?](http://67.media.tumblr.com/aa0a7d8f52f76bf3204f39ed0cdcf642/tumblr_inline_o28gehkeRJ1r7q5l0_540.jpg)], who emerges from her ball next to him. These Knot Grunts can either accept my challenge to a double battle or deal with Emblun’s fire themselves.

As amusing as the latter option could have been, they opt for the double battle. Tall Grunt sends out a level sixteen rattata, which gets joined by Short Grunt’s level fifteen glameow. I’m a little relieved to see them - the commotion had led me to worry they’d have much stronger pokémon. While I can understand how these could have caused trouble for farm-reared creatures raised in an environment free of pokemon battles, it’s a relief to see they’re the same levels as most of mine.

The rattata may be the higher level of the two, but more than a decade of playing simulation games with rattata in them tells me that the glameow will still be harder to take down. As such, it’s probably best I deal with the feline pokémon sooner rather than later. I point at her and order, [“Emblun, defnyddia Marwor! Cubno, Pwyad Craig!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n4) Opposite me, the two grunts mutter to their pokémon conspiratorially. I feel like they’re making a pantomime of showing that if they can’t understand what I say to my pokémon, I can’t hear what they say to theirs.

Emblun goes first, expelling a large Ember which shoots into the glameow and makes her hiss angrily. Going next, she hits Cubno with a Tail Whip, being one of the few pokémon who know the move with a tail long enough to actually use as a whip. Knocked unsteady, Cubno pushes back to use Rock Smash, jumping on the glameow’s head and squeezing with all four legs, just like he does to break the rocks that sometimes block paths. When Cubno gets shaken off, though, Tall Grunt’s rattata is there to meet her with a Hyper Fang attack that sinks deeply into her hind right leg. Poor Cubno yelps so sharply that even Short Grunt winces a little. Cubno’s too shocked to remember to eat the healing oran berry she's holding on a string around her neck.

I might’ve known these guys would focus on their weakest target - that’s the whole reason they’re here in the first place. Luckily, Cubno’s still conscious, but from the look of the heavy limp she sports as she goes back to her side of the field, she won’t stay that way if I keep her in battle for another round. I’d already been expecting to have to switch her out after a couple of rounds - I think I’ll be accelerating that plan a little. I cup her poké ball in my hand as I consider my next move.

[“Cubno! Bwyta dy aeron oran a gadael i Hetling cymyd drosodd!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n5) With a quick flash of light, Hetling[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/20ad5bfee3e436bde937296bdac9f111/tumblr_inline_o272clRL8f1r7q5l0_540.jpg)] is standing where Cubno was, and the health gauge on my pokédex indicates that Cubno has followed my instructions and eaten her emergency snack. I continue, [“Emblun! Defnyddia Crafiad ar y Glameow!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n6)

This round, the rattata goes first, dashing forward to use Quick Attack on the space that Cubno no longer occupies - a move that would have knocked the baby fox pokémon out before she had a chance to move. Instead, the move practically bounces off Hetling, whose defence is so much higher than Cubno’s that she barely seems to notice the attack. The glameow, meanwhile, has her tail pointing directly into the air, swaying from side to side. By the time I’ve worked out what she’s trying to do - preparing to use Hypnosis to send Emblun to sleep - she’s already been knocked out by a swipe of Emblun’s claws. 

Short Grunt sends out a second pokémon, one that neatly demonstrates all the diversity that Team Knot advocates for; another rattata, seemingly identical to the one by her side apart from being one level lower and having shorter whiskers. They’re not exactly the most inspiring creatures for Team Knot’s cause; seeing them doesn’t drive me to shrug off my Weruze heritage as much as it makes me want to book an appointment with my dentist.

I point at Tall Grunt’s rattata. [“Emblun, defnyddia Marwor. Hetling, Raseli Dail!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n7)

Emblun goes first again, his Ember hitting the long-whiskered rattata in the hindquarters; according to my pokédex, the fire diminishes around half of the rattata’s health. Winded, the rodent pokémon gets to hit feet and leaps onto Hetling, tearing into her skin with a Hyper Fang attack. Hot on his heels, the second rattata cannons into Hetling with a Tackle attack - a critical hit which bowls her backwards so that her head thuds against the hard gravel path. Pushing herself upright again, she throws her little arms wide and both enemy rattata are bombarded with her Razor Leaf attack.

It’s a pretty powerful hit on both of them, but like Cubno before her, Hetling’ll have to be switched out if she wants to survive the next round. I’m just deciding who to send out when a creak from the gate behind the two Team Knot Grunts steals my attention.

The creak was the noise of a scared-looking dark-skinned girl of around seven or eight years of age peeking her head around the corner, presumably to see if the farm’s invaders have left yet. She’s immediately pulled back behind the wall by someone else, but it’s something else from behind the opened gate that caught my eye. Against the farmhouse behind the wall, a message has been scrawled. The red liquid they’ve used to write it occasionally lets off blue and yellow sparks, making me suspect that it’s the blood of the electric-type mareep that make up the bulk of the farm’s livestock. The message reads, “LEARN A REAL LANGUAGE.” 

While I’m distracted, Tall Grunt suddenly blurts out, “Rattata, Quick Attack!”

Before I have the chance to react and return Hetling to her poké ball, the long-whiskered rattata moves as a blur to knock into Hetling. She just has time to look shocked before being pushed back onto the gravel floor behind her. This time, she doesn’t get back up.

I stare at my unconscious pokémon. “I - I hadn’t chosen… that’s cheating,” I stutter, dumbly. I don’t know why I’d expected a pair of criminals to be following pokémon league rules.

Nevertheless, Short Grunt turns to Tall Grunt with an uncomfortable look on his face. “That is kind of uncool,” he says. Tall Grunt straightens her back stiffly.

“Sacrifices have to be made for progress,” she recites, defensively. Apparently aware that the platitude sounds hollow, she guiltily continues, “It’s your move.”

I have to beat my opponents; the duo feel like something worse than annoying pests now that I’ve seen that they’re capable of causing some damage. Determined, I throw down a poké ball from my belt.

[“Mae nhw’n wan i chi, Prysbryd! Emblun, defnyddia Crafiad!”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n8)

As Prysbryd[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/465f424c7777bb077d1cf50e92e034f2/tumblr_inline_o4fuk8XH3g1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] pops out of her ball, Emblun lunges at Tall Grunt’s rattata with a Scratch attack that turns out to be a finishing blow. The rattata must have been her only pokémon, because no creature appears in his place. Short Grunt’s rattata uses tackle - a normal-type move that goes right through Prysbryd’s body.

Tall Grunt glares at Shorty, who flinches away from her. “Well, how was I supposed to know it was a ghost type? We don’t get any of those in London City!” I’d find this quite funny if I weren’t so eager to finish the battle and tend to Hetling’s wounds. 

Assuming the rattata is Short Grunt’s last pokémon, I should be able to wrap this up this turn. And sure enough, when I shout [“Marwor a Brathiad Byg, rwan,”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n9) it’s the last thing I need to say in the fight; Emblun’s Ember is all it takes to knock the rattata clean out.

When the two Grunts approach me to hand over my prize money, Short Grunt shrugs and says “Fair cop, mate.” Tall Grunt is less forgiving; her face is like thunder. “You may have won the battle, but this isn’t the last you’ve heard of Team Knot. We will liberate your country and civilise it by force! We will help you build a true culture by eradicating your primitive tribes! We will - oh, bollocks. Run, Bob!”

The two grunts dash off together as the sounds of sirens behind me abruptly interrupt Tall Grunt’s speech - someone in the ranch must have called the police while we were battling. I don’t even run after them; the police will catch up with them soon enough. They are, after all, running towards a gate that they must not realise can be locked from the other side. Instead, I turn my attention to Emblun, whose body is glowing white-hot. I think I know what this means. I crouch down next to him, look him in the eyes, and grin as I say, [“os yda chi’n barod, dos ymlaen.”](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#n10)

Emblun’s eyes twinkle before the glow engulfs his entire body. It hurts to look at the incredible light as every cell in his body goes through a chemical reaction that gives off an unbearable amount of energy, but I can’t help but stare at my pokémon’s first ever evolution. Beneath the glow, I can just barely make out his body lengthening, his back arching as his growing legs push against the ground beneath them. His little nose expands and thickens until “snout” is the only accurate word for it. His tail stretches out until it becomes longer than his entire body was a few minutes ago, and teeny, tiny wings unfold themselves from against his body. As the light dies down, it becomes clear that his skin has darkened from an orange-red colour to a vivid rouge.

And suddenly, as though he hasn’t changed at all, Ensiglo’s tongue drops out of his open mouth, and he smiles his unmistakable goofy grin at me.

I smile widely back and hug my companion, loving that his new form is large enough that I can wrap my arms right around his body from a kneeling position. In a couple of minutes, I’ll let go and get on with healing my other pokémon, but for now, I just want to bask in the sheer joy of my first pokémon’s evolution.

‘Ensiglo.’[[wtp?](http://66.media.tumblr.com/3918182b8c4ef964385ed3454ce7937c/tumblr_inline_o2nku0VKzG1r7q5l0_500.jpg)] I’ll have to get used to calling him that.

###### 

## Pokédex Entry of the Week!

**_[ENSIGLO. ](http://66.media.tumblr.com/3918182b8c4ef964385ed3454ce7937c/tumblr_inline_o2nku0VKzG1r7q5l0_500.jpg) _ **

**_The DRACONIC pokémon._ **

**_Fire/Dragon type._ **

**_The wings on its back are too small to maintain flight. However, they do give the pokémon an incredible sense of balance, allowing them to quickly change direction even while running at top speed._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 Milk. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return1)]  
> 2 A Weruze cake made by filling bread with a variety of fruits and berries. Literally translates as ‘speckled bread’, but people who make it claim it means ‘flycatcher bread’ because that sounds sweeter. [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return2)]  
> 3 'Emblun, come forward! Go, Cubno!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return3)]  
> 4 ‘ ‘Emblun, use Ember! Cubno, Rock Smash!’’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return4)]  
> 5 ‘Cubno! Eat your oran berry and let Hetling take over!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return5)]  
> 6 ‘Emblun! Use Scratch on the Glameow!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return6)]  
> 7 ‘Emblun, use Ember. Hetling, Razor Leaf! [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return7)]  
> 8 ‘They’re weak for you, Prysbryd! Emblun, use scratch!’ [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return8)]  
> 9 ‘Ember and Bug Bite, now!' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/15807463/chapters/17896483#return9)]  
> 10 'If you're ready, go ahead.' [[return to text](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6860020/chapters/17896483#return10)]  
> 


	15. Chapter 15

It's occurred to me that anybody reading this on here won't know what on earth is going on.

I haven't stopped writing Walking Weruzu (although writing it has slowed down quite a bit), but last year, my partner got life-saving emergency surgery, and shortly afterwards, my work as her carer got quite a bit more intensive. As a result of this, it became a little harder for me to find the time either to write chapters or to upload chapters of Walking Weruzu to AO3, since the coding for footnotes and linking to pictures of each pokémon used to take nearly an hour per chapter.

Now, I've got a lot more used to my schedule now, so that wouldn't be such a big factor any more... except that I'd already found that just about all the feedback I was getting was occurring outside Archive Of Our Own, on Facebook and Tumblr. I found that when I wrote new chapters, I could send them to all the ten or so people who had talked to me about how much they loved my story in a handful of minutes. It no longer felt like I had any reason to upload these chapters to AO3 at all.

I'm perfectly satisfied with this set-up; it's not like I started writing this ridiculously niche story with any illusions that it would get popular, so if this handful of people who enjoy my story are the only people it reaches, I'll still consider it a pretty great success. But if you've read these first few chapters on here and you want to read more, please, please, please message me! Kudos me! Comment on the story! If having the story uploaded on here is actually putting a smile on anyone's face at all, I want to know about it and keep it going. We can be a little circle of smiles. It'll be fab.

Until then, please keep an eye out for my next pokémon project, which will be coming to AO3 before too long and should appeal to roughly the same audience and maybe more! Thanks for reading :-)


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